Hunting with Airedales?

[deadyote]

I grew up with Airedales and love them as a family dog.  I always knew that they were bred for bears and cats, but have only heard a couple dog guys who used them.  I just got an airedale puppy this spring and he is 9 months old now and was wondering if they are a good hunting dog?  I have always wanted to train a dog for something like hunting coons only because we can't run bears and cats.  Plus only one dog probably won't work for bears and cats. 
Anyways, I was out driving around the leavenworth area this summer and let him out to run.  After about 1/2 mile run, he stopped in the middle of the road and got all worked up.  I called to him, whistled, and he ignored me.  He started sniffing around and looking real interested, then he took off up the hill.  He was only a couple months old and I was worried he might take off and not come back, so I gave the old loud yell and he stopped in his tracks, looked back, looked where he wanted to go, looked back again, and then came back reluctantly.  I wondered what he was all excited about, so I walked around in the road where he started getting all excited and sure enough there was a pretty good sized bear track right across the dirt.  It was cool to see the instincts in him come out. 
It was just a cool story to tell and I was a little curious if any of you dog guy use or have used an airdale?  Oh, and by the way he is the mountain airedale breed, also know as the Oorang.  He will be around 100 lbs when he is all done growing. 

[Machias]

I used to go every summer up to Eureka, MT for a water race, treeing contest and drag races.  Probably 100-120 hounds.  Big family get together, lots of fun....except when you were trying to get any sleep at night.  But the gentleman who hosted the event had big game airedales.  Very gritty dogs, smart.  Lots of guys used to have one in their pack with their hounds.

[inchtowntracking]

One of the guys around here would do a cross with a walker to get a good nose with tons of grit. It sounds like your dog there has a lot of drive if it hit that track and wanted to take off on it. I would bet if you trained him on coon that he would make you happy.

[Houndhunter]

As much as I like hounds, my uncle had one and said it was one of the best dogs he ever had. I don't think id ever buy one tho, their almost as ugly as a cur.....LOL

[deadyote]

So, where whould you start on how to train him for coons?  DVD's, books, anything?  Is there a place that I could take him?  I live in the Puyallup area.  Thanks

[WAcoyotehunter]

As much as I like hounds, my uncle had one and said it was one of the best dogs he ever had. I don't think id ever buy one tho, their almost as ugly as a cur.....LOL

Hey you watch it!!!  My cur is the cutest dog in the woods. 

I have not hunted over an airedale, but have heard they're pretty quick on a track.

[Machias]

So, where whould you start on how to train him for coons?  DVD's, books, anything?  Is there a place that I could take him?  I live in the Puyallup area.  Thanks

The absolute best book for training a young dog on coons is Tom Solberg's book "Dog Talk".  If you promise to send it back I would be more than happy to let you borrow it.   

[Machias]

As much as I like hounds, my uncle had one and said it was one of the best dogs he ever had. I don't think id ever buy one tho, their almost as ugly as a cur.....LOL

Ouch, I resemble that remark!   

[Kain]

They are great dogs.  I have never seen one hunting in person but I have seen guys use them for upland game birds, and ducks.  There are lots of Youtube vids of them hunting various things.