back in the 1980's and early 1990'sI raised some for hog dogs but they didn't hunt as well as the mtn curs nor caught as good as the pit bull. The mtn curs that I raised were of fair size and had lots of grit so I quit raising airedales. I raised different strains of airedales and in the early 1980's when I first started hunting hogs I bought one from an old man in Illinois who said that most people didn't know how to breed a good airedale. This one weighed about 50 lbs, he bayed and he caught quite a few hogs by himself. I used him as a find dog and stop/catch dog but he would not trail very far, just like most airedales I kept. However, they would trail all the way and stick as long as they were running with the mtn curs. If I had the room I would keep 1 good one. I raised the sandhill bloodlines for a little while. I had 2 airedales that were pretty good. They were a cross with the sandhill and the large type from the Mena, Arkansas Quachita kennels. They ran with the curs and helped with stopping and catching. They are super rough on most game but will back up and circle/bay a bad boar... I didn't like having to clip them, another negative. When I hunted them by themselves they would run silent and catch. Didn't have a tracking system back then so had to listen for a squeal...
The right mtn curs are hard to beat for finding and sticking to the track.
The right pitbull can't be beat for a catch dog.
I knew a 2 brothers who liked 1/2 pit 1/2 airedale for a running catch dog.
Half mtn cur 1/2 pit is a good running catch dog.
Strictly my opinion...
