I have dragged hundreds of coyotes out of the field and I have never seen that it has damaged the fur. The fur buyers have never said they saw any damage to the hides of coyotes I bring in. If it was breaking off the guard hairs, etc., I'm sure I would have heard about it. If you run the slip knot loop around the lower jaw and put the front paws in that same loop, you are going to be dragging the coyote WITH the grain of the fur. Most of the time, I am dragging them on top of snow, but I also have dragged them on prairie grass, stubble and the like as well. I am careful not to drag them through cactus, thick brush etc., but I sure haven't noticed damaged fur by dragging them.