A Sand County Almanac

Hunting is an important part of A Sand County Almanac, with guns representing the type of technology most commonly used in that pursuit. Guns represent a way of connecting with nature and of restoring a relationship that has been broken by modern conveniences. Leopold describes his use of guns in the hunting of birds in particular, but importantly, this use is supported by a deep understanding of the landscape; when hunting grouse, for instance, Leopold knows to look for the red of blackberry bushes rather than searching in the spots conventional wisdom tells hunters birds should be. In framing his use of guns for hunting in these terms, Leopold is showing that the use of technology must be tempered by a respect for, and knowledge of, the land.

However, guns also represent the destruction of nature, whether when used in unsustainable hunting practices or when used to make changes through the ecosystem, such as through the removal of predators. In the case of the former, Leopold points to the passenger pigeon, hunted to extinction, including by hunters with guns, in the 19th century. For the former, Leopold highlights wolves, hunted to extirpation in many states, with severe consequences for ecosystems. Unlike pre-human changes to ecosystems, which were often slow, giving all elements of the ecosystem time to adjust, the kinds of changes modern humans can affect—thanks to technology, such as guns—cause widespread and irreparable harm.