i asked this very question, myself, not too long ago. my wire is new and i can't tear it, or neither can my big, stout, weight-lifting boy. however, we have a family friend that said ''something'' tore holes in hers, so i asked here. the response was unanimous, coons will go right through it. personally, i don't see how a coon could chew through it, but i am bowing to experience of others. i did skirt my wired enclosure with 37'' high 26 gauge steel roofing panels all around, except for the door section where i have 2 layers of chicken wire covered over with 36'' high hardware cloth. it would take a bear to go through that, and we do not have them here in MS. when i get through with my winter greens garden, i am going to completely cover any remaining chicken wire with hardware cloth. i have a 110# dog that roams the yard at night, so i am not terribly concerned with coons right now. it is chicken snakes that have given me the blues this year, i've killed 5 in my egg boxes, since spring. i built a deluxe 16'x20' chicken pen, with 1/2 all enclosed with roofing steel panels and galvanized tin roofing, and the rest skirted with steel panels and 2 layers of chicken wire. ----------- it NEVER occured to me that a coon could rip it's way in,, now i know better.