Christian trappers

I'm a trapper. I'll start there. I belong to my state assoc, NTA and FTA. I've had a passion for it for many many years. I've have met great trappers over the decades several of which have passed on. Over the past year and a half, since I rededicated my life to Jesus I'm finding it harder and harder to justify what I'm doing. I know the versus that speak about man's dominion over all the animals on earth, in the sea and in air. I understand the managing of wildlife concept. I have always trapped because I enjoyed it, not to manage then animals. I was just wondering if any Christian trappers here have struggled with trapping and their Christianity and how us God convicted your hearts in your struggle? I'm praying for God to show me his will and I'll keep on praying. I know he will answer.

Mark June.

Im afraid I don't understand your question, there is no conflict between the christuanity of the Bible, and trapping, hunting, or fishing.

Definitely not boco....

X2

I think at least some of the Growenwold fellas are pretty religious.
You gotta do you. Just don't become a raving anti.

Relax enjoy your hobbie nothing to worry about. God not anti trapping.

As a Christian, i can't answer your question as i've never had to struggle with the reasoning behind hunting, trapping, fishing. I believe God has given us all the resources we need to survive. Skins for clothing, meat, plants for food and medicinal. The problem is man has managed to undermine the will of God and instead of His rules, have made our own rules. It is an undoing, what's wrong is right and what's right is wrong.

This^^^

I get it what your saying. Just like hunting. I don't enjoy killing. It's just part of it. I don't kill just to kill. There is still respect given to the animal and nature, for me at least.

Our Savior was a trapper.

John 21:6–8
6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

By chance what is the church fellowship you identify with?

I think you may be struggling with a touch of heresy that has infected many of the mainstream threads of christianity. Namely that the creation is somehow equal to or above that which is created in the image of God. Then somehow affording them the protections under Thou shalt not kill.

Never forget that God himself killed animals and fashioned garments for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21

One could even argue that veganism is unacceptable to God if the fig leaf garments created by Adam in verse 7 was unacceptable to God.

In my opinion if you are trapping/hunting and there for killing animals for a purpose, such as using the hides for clothes and meat for food. Or other crafts and not just for wanton waste it is acceptable in gods eyes.

It’s better to go trapping and think about God than it is to sit in church and think about trapping.

Gen 3:21

Christ once cast demons into a herd of swine which then ran into the sea to die.

Had nothing to do with eat what you kill. So we don't even have to go to "Arise, kill, eat".

We as outdoorsmen and women are particularly susceptible to the lie of the ancient enemy of worshipping the creation and not our Creator.

Violating Thou shall not Kill is most egregious not in the killing per se but in the killing of something God has created in His own image.

Which, BTW, is why abortion is an abomination but trapping is a benign act. Yet the pagans who deny Christ would have us insert heretical thought of veganism and anti hunting/trapping into christianity.

Judges 15:4
Sampson caught 300 foxes.

And lit their tails on fire.

Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: 

Sounds like you're having a moral conflict. You probably hunt and trap for sport more than any kind of subsistence.
Do you eat meat and wear leather shoes and belts? What animals did God put on this Earth exclusively to be slaughtered for out use?
If you're convicted to be a vegetarian that's one thing, but if your not.....You might as well be the one pulling the trigger or setting the trap instead of hiring someone else to do it.

There is another component if I may ask.

We are to be good stewards of God's creation. Are you in some way feeling that you are failing in that? Over or indiscriminate harvest? Experiencing disturbing or vicarious emotion or failing to abide by regulation?

The first I would advise become an even better steward through using the intellect God gifted us with by learning everything you can about His creation.
The latter is more troubling and I would suggest lots of prayer and discussion with a Christian brother skilled in counsel.

x3

The thought process of Christians is getting crazy.
Live life the way the Bible teaches and stop these ludicrous " thoughts".

Just me, but I have been educated biblically that God is good with us killing for food and cloth. It is what they are there for. Even killing the wolf to save the lamb is o.k..

.. when I hear of a man getting soft, my recommendation is a hard reboot to get you back right … what that entails is pulling on a handle of wild turkey and watching Pale Rider three times in a row

God follows me on my trapline everyday. You need to develop a conversation when you’re doing it…every day.

Hate to agree but do.

Crap! Just spit some whisky out (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) you! No joke when I need to get my man card back it is Clint Eastwood movies and Jim Beam! No chicks invited.

In my humble opinion, your conviction may have nothing more to do with trapping than that God is trying to speak to you. Perhaps there is another area of your life He wants you focused on or perhaps He wants you to use your interest in trapping to reach someone or some purpose for His kingdoms work. There is nothing “soft” about listening when God speaks. Handle whatever it is He’s convicting you about and chances are you can return to trapping with a clear conscience.

If all you have to worry about between you and God is killing animals then you’ve lived an awesome life. I’ve stayed many times I can teach anyone to hunt and trap, killing I can’t teach. Some folks don’t like it. Some folks can’t do it. Some folks find excuses not to kill. I used to find excuses to kill, after a while it just becomes numb and you don’t even think about it. Do I kill everything. Nope. Red foxes get a pass mainly because we just don’t hardly have any down here and I just think they’re too pretty to kill, lol.
Killing is a choice. If you have to ask then you’ve made up your mind already. Don’t kill anymore. If you really wanted to know an answer to your question, you’d ask a pastor/rabbi/priest, not a bunch of trappers whether they’re Christians or not.

Amen

Sorry I ain't much of a spiritual guy, but I will submit this:

If you are trapping because you like to kill stuff, you may have a lot of 'splaining to do at the pearly gates.

If you are trapping to eliminate pests or supplement income, you are probably on some solid ground

Thank you for everyone's replies. Warrior especially ! And to answer your question Independent Baptist Church. I don't call myself a Baptist however. Just a Christian that attends a Bible teaching church. As for whiskey and Clint Eastwood movies IMO neither has anything to do with one's manhood. I hope you don't really believe that? I'll be praying for you also.

.. this post reminds of what happened in Tsavo back in 1996…there were two lions that had developed a taste for dark meat and were disrupting the construction of a railroad by eating the labor

… anyway they hired the world famous predator hunter and trapper Michael Douglas to kill the lions

… one night during a conversation around the campfire Michael Douglas mentioned that he didn’t necessarily “enjoy killing”… a man asked “if you don’t enjoy killing, then why do you do it?”

.. Ol Mike Douglas responds…”because I have a gift”

..lol

X2

Here is the verse. I agree with the others in this thread.

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

I don’t reply very frequently in posts, but felt led to in this one.
My suggestion, pray and listen. Discern. Is it the Holy Spirit or another that you hear ?
Biblically speaking hunting, trapping, fishing is not sinful. But, perhaps the Spirit is leading you on a path. It doesn’t have to make sense, or that you fully understand at this point. It also doesn’t matter what others think or do. . This could be a path just for you. Possibly just for a season. Or perhaps it’s another spirit altogether.
Pray and patiently wait for Father to speak and to lead. Then follow. Think Noah.

I think people have been wearing furs throughout history and Huntimng a nd fishing as well. God has never forbid it.

To further expound on Genesis 3.

God was the one who taught us to kill.

When faced with his own nakedness Adam couldn't even comprehend the use of animal skins as up until that time all of his food was from the plants of the garden.

God knew that once Adam was cast out from the garden his food would not come so easy as just picking the fruit of the garden and that the animals would no longer be held at bay. Adam would now be under threat from his environment outside the garden. Adam would now have to kill to live yet Adam had never killed.

So God killed for Adam to show us how to provide.

Had man never fallen, we wouldn't be hunting, trapping, or fishing. But man did. So until that day when my want to don't want to or the Trumpet sounds, I'm going to keep on trapping.

Sampson is my hero. Did it without 1.75s too.
Jim

If you think the Lord doesn’t want you to trap. Then don’t.

Ed Patrick meant no disrespect. Your initial post seemed so silly I thought it would be deleted! Prayers always appreciated. I thought have you studied the bible or was this a trick post? No idea and don't care. Replied to another post in jest about Eastwood and whiskey. But was kinda true. Do not know if he is allowed at your church but if not.... I would suggest you watching Unforgiven and Grand Torino from Eastwood in that order. Smells of the struggle of God and man and you do not have to go back to the movies where a pale horse was involved!

I, too, am opposed to trapping Christians.

What you got for bait, lol.

Lord, lead me not into temptation. LOL

....Cornbread?

Footprints all over the set but not on the pan. I'm picky on cornbread.

I heard a lot of people get trapped using some kind of honey pot set?

Edit probably goes along with the cornbread.

That one is a killer set.

As a Christian I believe priorities should be:
1) Your relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
2) Your relationship with your family, both biological and spiritual
3) Your relationship with civil society (your Country, the needy, etc.).

If your trapping or any other hobbies are not negatively affecting or taking precedence over any of the above, you have nothing to worry about.

I have never liked the killing part. But it's part of it. Killing animals must have a reason for me to do so. Food, removal of problems and property damage
Example groundhogs diging under the barn or eating my pumpkin patch, coons killing chickens or eating my sweet corn. To keep the population healthy and below the lands Carrying capacity.

I gain enjoyment spending time in nature and doing my part. I in no way have any spiritual conflict killing animals. Infact I have more empathy for the coon killing my chickens than a human theft. The coon is just trying to eat and has no intention of doing harm and does not know better people do.

This is a great thread,
I've been a church goer my whole life. But I've only been born again about 10 years.
Ive come to realize that God has used my trapping skills and placed me were I needed to be through out my life
My 1st 15 years I was in Wyoming I was helping a Christian family with 7 children. Mostly without pay and probably the equivalent of 3 to4 years of that working out of a non self contained camper. I'm not complaining.
I was a free man doing what I loved. God was giving me skills of being a servent and living a simple life.
I know that My desire to trapp and utilize the critters where a natural desire given from God. I was always provided for. I developed a taste for whatever I was blessed with catching or shooting on the line.
To servive a Wyoming winter without lots of food preserved, somthing has to die.
As I've become older and now at retiment age I still trapp and hunt. But mostly to protect the livestock in our community and the wildlife. Of course I enjoy it and it's great exercise. God's guidance is always 1st in my life today. But using the skills the creator has given us is responsible and a benefit to man kind.

I've known alot of hunters and trappers (myself included) that as we get older start to feel the way you are about things. You start to get up there in years and aging, maybe dealing with illness that often comes with age and you realize time is fleeting and you start to see things differently. You observe the animals in their daily struggles to find food and stay alive one more day and I guess you kinda learn a new respect for them. You start to hunt for food, not trophies, keep just enough fish for a meal instead of filling a bucket, trap when only animal numbers start to get out of control- things like that.

Sunday afternoon buffet table at Golden Corral.

As a Christian only problem with any activity is when it replaces God as your god. I no longer shoot archery because I became so obsessed with it. It was replacing my devotion to Gog and my family.

I started trapping at 13 years old and am now 57. When I think about all of the animals I've dispatched over the years..the ones that stand out and make me feel a little guilty, because I know God saw, are the raccoons that wouldn't die, or a trap set in an 'iffy' location, maybe a small critter caught in an oversize trap on a super cold night. So, one thing I learned is that I want to be the most humane trapper I possibly can.

Letting animals overpopulate and die of mange and other diseases is way more inhumane than trapping.

Man... Pretty new to trapping and dealt with exactly this, this morning. Been heavy on my mind the whole way to work. I was going to cut short reading this through the final post, but am glad that I rolled through each reply. Appreciate it beachcomber13.

This IS a great thread. I am one of few in my congregation that pursues “the blood sports”. But I have got backlash. Not vehemently, but too many want to know my reasons. I’m very passionate about why I trap and why it is necessary. Tom Miranda instilled that in me in an earlier VHS. You have to have personal conviction about it. No man can know God. Therefore no man can govern these grey areas that are not firmly set in the Bible. You must make your peace with this on your own. Pray about it.
Is someone on your case about it? Too much control in religions.
Religion and Spirituality are two different things.
I’ve never felt closer to my creator than when I was observing wildlife, even if that means harvesting them.

Grits or Masa will get me Everytime.

Ed, Boils down to this if you're being convicted then listen to your conviction.

Took my grandson out trapping for the first time. We caught a few muskrats. On the way home he asked if I thought we should pray for them. Glad he prays, so I told him to offer a silent prayer that they'd be happy in animal heaven. He was 5 at the time. Kind of cute. Now he is an avid hunter.

I don't think God wants my house to be overrun by mice. Living in the country almost all people are some kind of trappers, even the pastors!
People forget the number one animal trapped is the mouse, even by antis

I treat animals with the respect they deserve, I believe I was driven to be a trapper.
Long ago our church leader made a sermon,, "dont shoot the little birds" And historically asked to limit killing excess hunting for times of need.


New King James Version
Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes;

5] And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

[7] Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

Rev. Roy Johnson was on EJ Daleys catalog cover several times. He did sermons sunday morning at NYSTA convention. He never backed away from the word of God. He would talk Trapping with you but his main passion was the Bible.