For us folks who don't flesh and dry. I've measured a lot of the coons I've caught so far and am wondering how much length they would gain if put up and stretched correctly on a board? Example, would a 31" (nose to base of tail) green hide laying on the floor be a 32" coon if finished? If not, how much extra length gain would be expected.

I would say around 4 inches or more. But there are a few factors you need to address.

Your opening cuts make a difference in green length.
Cutting through or below the bung hole will give you a shorter hide. Cut above the bung hole by a few Inches will give you more length. Which Is called the money cut.

The size of your board.
Width of the board at certain distances. Having the head and neck and shoulders to wide will shorten a hide by several Inches.

2 or 3" can make the difference between a 3X and 4x and that will make a big difference In your pay check.

And last but not least. Just the stretching alone will get you more inches.

So are you skinning and just not finishing? Finishing will about double your pay alone. Some think it is a waste of time for a few bucks more but the cost of finishing is less than the cost of catching.

Just skinning. I do not have the room in the garage to set up a fleshing board, and no controlled place with air movement and temp control to dry correctly. I sell to Greonwald for those reasons, and they park the truck about a mile from my house when they stop in town.
Just been wondering because I've caught quite a few coon that have been measuring between 29 and 33 inches.
Thanks for the replies.

On YouTube, Greonwald (if your selling to him) would rather you not do a money cut. He'd rather have the shorter hide.

And I wonder why that Is????

He explains it on the video. Something to do with the undesired fur being pulled into the site window.

I saw that and I'm new to trapping but still find that to be stupid. Says it shows to much of the back fur or something. Seems shady!

Do you think groney makes those flicks to benefit you the trapper ??? If you believe that I have a bridge I will sell you.

The money cut displays every bit of usable fur the coon has to offer. Most guys trim that fur away when cutting a window. If you make the correct cuts and correctly pin out the coon on your board you will have a perfect window with no trimming. The way I do It the end user gets every bit of fur that the coon Is born with.

The money cut will make a 3xxl coon Into a 4xxl coon and that my friends will benefit you the trapper. A coon Is only so big so display that fur to It's utmost and that will make you money. The last time I sold coon a 4xxl coon brought more money then a 3xxl coon. I rest my case.

How much is that bridge? I need one about 75' long and it must be delivered.

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I agree with the size information Beav. I am just curious why groeny would want smaller hides. I am sure someone can answer i suppose. maybe margins are better on a down graded hide than a true size. For example if Groeny doesn't want the money cut and only gets and pays for a 3x then wouldn't that mean in your scenario that the profit margin is greater on that coon as a 3x instead of four? That could certainly be the case and the meaning behind it all. Just trying to gain some knowledge out of the topic. I was taught the money cut method by an old fur buyer and that is all i have ever done. I don't really have intention of changing.

If he can buy a 4xxl coon for the price of a 3xxl of coarse he's going to make more money. The fur Is still there but It's just not displayed correctly to make It a 4xxl.

Groney doesn't like rats on wood for the same reason. Well He will tell you It's because they don't stack well. LOL

You can't make a rat any bigger then what It Is. It's just how you display that hide. No matter what you do to a rat on wire you can't get that skirt squared off to give you that longer measurement.

Make sense Beav. It just didn't click in my thought cooker. I use boards for everything as well. Just the way i was shown. I was always told this was a big reason why buyers would say they wanted wire coon as well. Because it was hard to display the true size of the fur. It was still the same hide but just hard to get a border line hide to size up like it can be on a board. That part is logical to me. Thinking about it like you state the fur is still there it is just in a different spot makes sense for sure.

I just watched it again. Groney says it's pulling belly fur into the site window. The ugliest or worst part to look at and it will get downgrafed a size since that fur is bad. His words. Not mine. I'd watch the video and see if it's worth doing yourself it not.