Edward Robert Sans

Edward Robert Sans, known as “E.R.” or “Ed,” was a remarkable figure in California and Nevada history. Father of Mabel Sans Plaskett, he operated the Mill Creek Saw Mill with his brother Charles and served as Deputy County Assessor for Monterey County.

The “Coyote Man”

Sans became famous as Nevada’s “Coyote Man” - a legendary trapper and hunter who worked in predatory animal control for both Nevada and California. His expertise in wildlife management led to a far greater legacy.

Antelope Conservation Pioneer

In the 1920s, while working as a U.S. Biological Survey biologist, Sans observed the alarming decline of pronghorn antelope in Nevada - the species was hunted nearly to extinction with only about 14,000 individuals remaining nationwide by 1914. His chief hobby became a constructive interest in developing and protecting the antelope herds.

Sans successfully advocated for: - A closed hunting season on pronghorn in northwestern Nevada - The establishment of a wildlife refuge in Northern Washoe County

He convinced the Audubon Society and the Boone & Crockett Club to purchase private holdings in the area, which became the Charles Sheldon Antelope Range in 1931. The original refuge contained 28,000 acres where antelope could roam protected by law.

Lasting Legacy

The refuge Sans helped establish has grown into the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge - now encompassing 573,504 acres (over half a million acres) in the northwest corner of Nevada, extending slightly into Oregon. Thanks to the protections Sans championed, pronghorn populations recovered from near-extinction to over one million animals today, with approximately 2,500 living in the Sheldon refuge alone.

“Pacific Valley, Redwood and Mansfield, each helped in some way toward the final goal” - and E.R. Sans helped save an entire species.