Everyone at least I think should learn new things every season. Below is a list of things I have learned so far this year. Some should have been known and others certainly new.

1. It is possible to take care of a skunk without it spraying. we don't talk much dispatch but that is the key.
2. When getting into trapping for the first time or like me back into it from years away don't forget about the monetary investment in furhandling gear. Like fleshing knife, skinning knife, beam, and what not. I blew my budget on gear and am suffering for it.
3. When you set traps on a active rabbit run because you have active fox tracks acknowledge you will likely catch rabbits. Two night in a row actually. Both caught and then eaten partially by said fox. Quite embarrassing.
4. Move your traps on a dead line. I left a string of traps on a line for three weeks with nothing to show for it. There was sign and animal activity in the past but they were not there when i was setting. I waited i guess for them to come back to the old neighborhood.
5. I still know next to nothing about catching canines. And get shown what i don't know once a week or so at least by one of them.
6. It is possible to spot muskrat runs in clear water from Google Earth. Quite amazing.
7. ONX maps works great for the public land hunter/ trapper as well as private land to know where you are at with confidence.
8. My wife is better at putting up fur than i am and seems to like to rub that in every now and then. "I am going to just leave here because i think you are trying to make love to it rather than flesh it". Lol

Some of my lessons:

Conibears don't work with the safeties on (that's an annual refresher for me).
Set ON sign, not next to it, not near it, ON it.

A lesson I learned last night.

If the coyotes are not in the crop ground, and the river is low enough to expose the river bed, they will use the river bed like a coyote super highway. Only took me 4 days to figure it out

Just learned this..... dont hit delete when your whole post is highlighted lol

New one on me this year is, drink less coffee before leaving home to check traps. Every day i have to pee right when i get to the same set in the middle of my line...

Cross stakes are not always enough to hold a large male coyote in tilled farm ground, were still playing tag.

If you have the option to move your line when current one stops producing, MOVE.... theres more fruit in unpicked orchards.

New glove dryer....

Every type of set has its pros and cons, learning what they are and how to use them to your advantage makes you a better trapper.

If you don't make sure a mink can't hang up, it will, and something else will chew it up.

Hip boots are useless in waist deep water. When in doubt use the waders.
A spare tire is useless without a jack .
We have to many bobcat in Houghton Lake area.

Something to add to my list.

9. Mink have a very strong odor especially when you fillet open the scent glands in a semi small enclosed warm space. Always have bene told they were strong but never made the mistake cut. I did last night. Spectaculer lesson learned lol.