Sheldon, Charles, 1867-1928

Charles Sheldon (1867-1928), big game hunter, conservationist, and authority on mountain sheep, was a close personal friend of Edward William Nelson. Nelson was co-editor of Sheldon's posthumously published "The Wilderness of Denali," and the author of a biographical memoir on Sheldon.

Hunter, naturalist, and conservationist Charles Sheldon (1867-1928) collected, photographed, and observed wildlife. From 1903 to 1908 he devoted his time to the study of wildlife in the northwestern part of the North American continent, hunting grizzly bears in the upper Yukon and Denali. From 1912 to 1922, he shifted his focus to the Southwest, hunting and collecting desert bighorn sheep from Arizona to Sonora, Mexico. Sheldon was a key figure in both the development of the Mount McKinley National Park in Alaska, and the establishment of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Hundreds of the biological specimens that Sheldon collected are now in the National Museum at the Smithsonian. For further biographical information, see The Wilderness of the Southwest .

Charles Sheldon was a noted naturalist and authority on big game animals, particularly Alaska mountain sheep and bear. Sheldon, an executive officer of the Boone and Crockett Club, also took an active interest in issues involving game laws and national parks. His knowledge of the Denali wilderness and his belief in the need for more national parks prompted his participation in a drive which eventually led to the creation of Mt. McKinley Park.

Hunter-naturalist and explorer.