Dan Stephens

Program Manager

Dan grew up hunting and fishing in Missouri and developed a lifelong passion for the outdoors. After attending Murray State University in Kentucky and graduating with a degree in Wildlife Biology, Dan worked various jobs ranging from wild turkey research, bobwhite quail research, and botany research to assisting private landowners with better managing their properties for wildlife. Dan is an avid wildlife photographer and worked for several years as a both a freelance and wedding photographer. Dan joined the Illinois Learn to Hunt program in the summer of 2017.

Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Deer/turkey/waterfowl/small game/upland hunting, gardening, wildlife photography, & fishing.

Other Hobbies: Hockey, reading, cooking with garden produce and wild game, playing guitar, & listening to old vinyl records.

Jason Buckley

R3 Workshop Coordinator

Jason grew up spending time outdoors with his family—camping, hunting, and fishing in Pennsylvania. His passion for nature led him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science/Biology at Kutztown University. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Conservation Biology from Central Michigan University. After graduating, Jason held several positions, including working as a fisheries field technician for the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), where he monitored fish populations across Illinois. He later spent several years as an environmental scientist for an environmental consulting firm. In January 2020, Jason joined the Illinois Learn to Hunt program.

Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Walking my dogs, deer & turkey hunting, SCUBA, traveling, fishing, & camping.

Other Hobbies: Philadelphia sports fan, skee ball, darts, pool, trivia, board games, live music, stand-up, & movies.

Curtis Twellmann

R3 Workshop Coordinator

Curtis grew up hunting, trapping, and fishing in central Missouri. After getting a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Curtis worked for various agencies across 8 states in the wildlife field. He went from scouting deer in southern Texas to working with waterfowl in Northern Alaska, catching pheasants in Nebraska to leading bird counts in the Nevada mountains, and a couple things in between. It was a stint with the Wisconsin DNR as the Assistant Furbearer Specialist that was his first taste of R3, when he was the Coordinator for the state’s Cooperative Trapper Education Program. Curtis joined Illinois Learn to Hunt in the fall of 2020.

Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Waterfowl hunting, small game hunting, bow hunting deer, turkey hunting, trapping, fishing, birding, mushroom hunting, camping, & general nature appreciation.

Other Hobbies: Baseball, cooking, disc golf, carpentry, & reading about history and/or nature.

Lauren Dean

Assistant Research Scientist, Hunter Research

Lauren grew up in Maryland with a deer hunting dad who got her a hunter ed course for her 13th birthday. Although she loved the course, it took her until adulthood to get into hunting (she realized she could use it as an excuse to run around the woods with her dog, which is all she really wants out of life). She has a B.A. in Anthropology from Tulane, an M.A. in History from the University of Missouri, & an M.p.S. in Wildlife Conservation & Management from Unity Environmental College, which drove home the importance of hunters & trappers for wildlife management & introduced her to the concept of R3. She joined the team in the summer of 2024.

Favorite Outdoor Hobbies: Running my basset at the beagle club, small game hunting, goose hunting, & wildlife photography. I’m also just starting to get my feet wet with trapping!

Other Hobbies: Working with my dog, exploring local parks, & reading fiction.