Aldo Leopold - personal gun?

TNR · 05-04-2011, 12:02 PM

For the well-read and researched, does anyone know what kind of double Aldo Leopold hunted with? A deeply conflicted hunter yet passionate grouse gunner, I have found no mention of his personal firearms but have seen a picture of him with his dog, and what is clearly a Parker leaning on a fence behind them.

Can anyone further elaborate?

Bill Murphy · 05-04-2011, 01:27 PM

Can you give us a reference for the picture, or, better yet, post it on this thread?

alan cope · 05-04-2011, 01:50 PM

I think there is mention of him using a Parker and a Daly . I think it was the Parker that wore out and his staff got him a new Daly- could be otherway around, not even sure if I got the right guy.

AC

Dean Romig · 05-04-2011, 02:21 PM

It is very easy to mistake an early Philadelphia Arms Co. (forerunner to the Sterlingworth) "pin gun" with a Parker. At first glance I have been fooled on one or two occasions.

Phil Yearout · 05-04-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Roller

A deeply conflicted hunter...

Tom,

I'd be interested in having you expand on that statement; if you'd rather do it via PM I'd welcome that as well. Thanks...

Phil

TNR · 05-05-2011, 05:52 AM

Yall - I have the photo but need a few free minutes, that I do not have now, to post. It's an archival photo from a biography, etc. As the crew here is well read, I am hoping someone has seen a reference in a biography or academic piece about his guns. My friends in academia who are well-read in Leopold aren't going to notice or remember a tidbit on what brand gun he preferred.

A Sand County Almanac is easily one of the most influential pieces written on conservation and is laced with deep conviction. Though in reading one can easily see his struggle with how humans use natural resources and he commonly mentions who we "over recreate." He was an early advocate of bow hunting (in the 1930s, 40s) and was truly bothered by the automatic.

I offer this quote:

‎"Take a look, first, at any duck marsh. A cordon of parked cars surrounds it. Crouched on each point of its reedy margin is some pillar of society, automatic ready, trigger finger itching to break, if need be, every law of commonwealth or commonweal to kill a duck. That he is already overfed in no way dampens his avidity for gathering his meat from God." - Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac

and

"There are two kinds of hunting: ordinary hunting, and ruffed-grouse hunting."

Dean Romig · 05-05-2011, 06:06 AM

I don't see that as being a "deeply conflicted hunter".

Instead, I see Leopold as, like you say, a man with "deep conviction" who loves to hunt but knows what he doesn't like, even in his own community of sportsmen. Even today there are those who think nothing of breaking laws put in place for the benefit of the game we pursue. I hope we all carry the same convictions that Leopold had.

TNR · 05-06-2011, 04:14 AM

My intention was never to engage in a philosophical discussion on the interpretations of Leopold's writings on hunting and sport. The quotes I offered, when read on their own, can easily take away from the ethos of his overall work.

I do encourage everyone to read "A Sand County Almanac" as it is truly one of the finest writings on conservation to ever be published. That I think we can agree on.

I came across this photo on the Aldo Leopold Foundation site and, as I have never seen a direct reference to his gun of choice (other than always being a double) it got me thinking. I cannot tell if there is a hinge-pin, but I do see a forearm wood insert...any guesses?

*There is a larger version of the photo in the UW-Madison Leopold archives but I Cannot successfully link to it. You can search photos for "hunting" And it's fairly easy to find.

http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections/AldoLeopold

Dean Romig · 05-06-2011, 05:56 AM

Sorry Tom, I thought you stated your opinion pretty well with the support of a couple of quotes so I thought I'd express mine. We don't need to discuss it further.

I have "A Sand County Almanac", have read it a few times and learned from it. It is a beautiful work.

TNR · 05-06-2011, 05:56 PM

Dean - not a problem, I completely respect your opinion and clearly engaged in the same game. I have just learned, from past experience, that discussions on the ethics and philosophies of hunting/fishing are best kept off the internet and spoke about with friends and acquaintances over a good drink.

As far as the picture - I originally saw this in a book and just yesterday found the bigger version online and I thus can make out the forearm differences from a Parker.

Any guesses as to what it might be?