Which do you use and is there any hard evidence that wood brings more money? I use wire mostly but am considering making the change to wood. Just wondering if it would be worth the extra time and effort when you have 150 coon to do.
Any pro's and con's would be appreciated.
Chad

I like wood cause you just pull; the hide down and tack it out and it holds it's shape and size. My main problem with wire was were the coons are so greasy it would cause the hooks to slide up thus causing loss of inches and making em too wide at the base. I can tell a big difference in my wood stretched coons versus my wire stretched ones.

i seen it and have had it happen coon on wood brings more than wire most of the time . if you want speed then wire is the way if you want more money and take a little more time wood is it .
just my 2 cents
threestud

i thinked wire stretched coons look terrible compared to wood. wire isnt consistent and makes them looked oddly shaped.

wood is also easier to work with

Look down toward the bottom of this forum page and read the "wood or wire conversions" thread...

I like wood because everything is uniform. To each their own. I guess it depends on the time frame you need the 150 done and how many boards you have. I have 48 boards and like to flesh 5-6 a night after skinning and freeze. When things slow down I flesh or put previous ones done on boards. I keep them on boards for 3-4 days and then placed between cardboard, compressed. I use wood for everything aand the cost wasn't bad because I bought when a good deal presented itself. Can't tell you if it makes me more money or not but I would like to think so, always had buyers appreciate well put up fur.

I'd say it does for sure. If nothing else, it lets you get another couple inches of length on most pelts, and like you said, wood or wood-wire just makes 'em look better than wire.

As this question was just asked this morning...here are the responses it got...

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthrea...ood.html#UNREAD

Tom

How many who use wood have sold millions and millions of coon to foreign markets?

How many of you have split your coon from end to end fleshed them on a machine and then zip tied them to a wire streacher? Now Isn't that a pretty picture.

So Dave your saying that coon put up on wood bring less money.

sometimes coon in S.E VA. are a little flat a lot of times they are semi heavy so you are saying the flat coon will bring a coupla more dollars a pelt if I put them on wood ????

Nope, I'm saying that there is no advatage. Now your going to tell me that you can gain length on wood and if you pull you can, but is it true length? The reason Groenys prefers wire is because they like to keep their customers happy so they come back year after year. Take a 29 inch coon on wire for instance. That coon goes through the dressing proccess and comes out a 29 inch coon. Take that same coon and pull him on wood to 31 inches. Coon gets dressed and comes back a 29 incher. Don't know about you, but when I buy something it better be what I paid for. Foreign buyers are no different. When a guy that has sold more coon over seas than any other buyer tells me to put my coon up on wire I'm going to listen to him. Beav, you have not.

If you have some coons to put up put similar amounts of each that are similar to each other as possible and either take to your buyer or ship and try to use different accounts so you can follow which are which and make your own choice.

I have used wood then wire back to wood then wire converted to wood and now all wood. Do I get more I don't know. I prefer wood.
Some people are happy driving a certain car for the same miles and job and others want a different ride experience, neither probably impact your hourly wage but may impact your attitude when you arrive and leave.

Bryce

you would think all that pulling would make the fur look weak

Beav, I figured you knew that coon get split up the middle before dressing. Groeny's just saving them a step.

I have done this!! I still use wire.

Well I hate to dissagree with you. when anything Is dressed It loses size. You ever send In any furs to be tanned does It come back the same size as when you shipped It streached and dried? No IT dosen't.

I'm not a fur buyer. I'm a trapper I want to get as much out of my fur as I can.
In reality If you use the money cut and use wood you are giving the fur buyer MORE fur for his buck. If the money cut Is done right you don't have to do any trimming to form a Inspection window. So all the fur Is retained. And most guys do a fair amount of trimming when cutting windows.

The guys that put up fur for NAFA In In my area all use wood.

I just take pride In my work it looks good I feel good about It and I get top dollar.

I like wood bring more than wire stretched

No Dave he's doing It so he can machine flesh them. Does he split all the streached and dried fur he buys just so he can help out the buyer? LOL

wire here, I would not dream of wasting all that time putting them on wood.