Full Cry Column
December 2003

Kevin G. Kelly (Pacific Coast Working Airedale Terrier Association correspondent)

Hello to you all from the RDR Ranch on the edge of Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Tuesday was 95 degrees and dry as a bone, with T-shirt weather on into the evening. Thursday evening a cold front moved in and it rained just prior to dawn on Friday morning, then continued to rain off and on through out the day. We had snow up on the summit (very unusual) with temperatures in the low thirties at night, upper fifties day time. This is January weather for us.
I am very glad to get some moisture on the ground though. With the fires in southern Ca. and the rough summer British Columbia had with all their fires, it has been on my mind to keep the water tanks full to the brim and pray that we are lucky enough to avoid problems this fire season. A friend of mine from the lumber yard, in Ben Lomond, California, told me he was traveling through British Columbia on a roadway that had a forest fire on both sides; and not a small brush fire! He was surprised they were allowed to pass. It's possible that there just wasn't the manpower to post someone to stop traffic.
I just read "FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN"by John N. Maclean, about the 1994, South Canyon fire in Colorado. There were a lot of errors that led to that tragedy. Fourteen good men and women died fighting that blaze, they will be remembered for a long time and hopefully their memory will encourage future firefighters and administrators to practice safety first.

Laurie and I were going out last night to listen to some Bluegrass Masters, (Bill Evans on banjo, Roland White on mandolin, Jim Hurst on guitar, Missy Raines on bass and Ron Stewart on fiddle, for those of you who might be curious). It was just after dark, about six o'clock in the evening. As we rolled down Foxglove Lane, which is about one and a third miles of private road that we maintain along with our four neighbors, we encountered two wild pigs starting to cross the road in front of us. They veered off and went back to where they were coming from. I have never seen them in this location before. Just about two weeks ago I noticed some new pig sign for the first time in over a year. They are coming down out of the mountains for water I believe. My son Miles will be back tomorrow, I think it's time to get some more pork in the freezer.

I heard from Rick Schell awhile back with this to say:
"Hey from north Alabama, thought I would brag on Coppers new hunting buddy. His name is Titan and is Steele and Sally Belles son from Billy Harkins. I like the looks of this pup so far. He is a tight coated pup with a good looking strong head for 9 weeks old. I like the looks of Steeles head and frame as he is such a powerfully looking dog. I hope Titan can take after his father and have his mother's coat. I believe so far he is headed that way. He loves to chase and tug on hog hides. If he stays short coated and hunts good maybe Billy would like to breed back to him someday. I was hoping to hunt more with Billy. Seems the older my kids get the less time I have. Need to start hunting more here too. Killed a large boar some time ago that killed two cows and hurt 3 others. We had him dead in twenty minutes from where the cows were killed. He was about 350 even though the farmer had up to 450 lbs before the skinning was done. I think Copper and Titan will be a good team and they are bonding well together.

RICK'S HOG

Copper runs good with my hounds and keeps up no problem. He is very mouthy and likes to grab. I am not talking about pulling hair I mean sneak in and take hold. Seems very smart when grabbing a hog if other bay dogs will hold the hogs attention Copper will find a spot. He got hurt some time back when I could not get to the fight quick enough. Seemed to of had his back leg grabbed. Probably a sow. We never did get that one. Had a good hunt Saturday. Thought we were going home empty when the plott hounds started cold trailing. I could see they were going to go a long ways so I decided to put Copper on a leash. I am always a little concerned with him in a hog fight when I am so far away. So we let the dogs work and they jumped about a 150 or better size boar close to a 1/2 mile away. The boar ran somewhat in our direction and was about 150 yards ahead of the hounds running hard. It was fun to see the hounds all together running by scent trailing the boar at a dead run. Copper was going nuts. I still held him back. The hog bayed up several times until the hounds finally stopped him. It was dark by now and they were bayed solid. We got about 30 yards from the fight when I cut Copper loose. Copper is very smart when he catches.

Unlike a bull dog he picks his shots kind of sneaky like without hesitation. As soon as he grabbed the boar the rest of the pack caught and we had pork chops for dinner. Copper really pulls through when we need him most. Now Titan has some fresh hog hides to tug on.I will try to keep up with ya all. Rick Schell, Somerville, Al."
Titan sounds like a keeper Rick. He and Copper will make an impressive team. Keep those updates rolling in.
Often, I wish I lived back that way, so we could all hunt together. I really like the folks, the music, the pace and the hunting that goes on around there.
By the way, my boys are 19, 22 and 30. Your children will grow up very fast, don't pass up any opportunity you have to be with them at every step of the way. Just spend time with them, it doesn't matter what you do.

RICK, COPPER AND A FRIEND WITH A NICE HOG

Dave Merryman forwarded an e-mail from a friend of his, in Iowa. This is what Dave said as an introduction to the email; " I am forwarding an email from a friend in Iowa. He arraigned hundreds of acres of pheasant land for us to hunt last year. He expressed an interest in a hunting Airedale. One of our Bandit/Bessie pups was with a family in Ft. Wayne. The family was moving to AZ and they couldn't take Keesha (the Airedale). We facilitated the deal for Keesha to move to Iowa. This event happened Memorial Day this year. Keesha had never been exposed to any hunting. She was two years old when she moved. Bruce has been working with her all summer and she's doing great. She's hot on birds and as you will read below, she's a coon dog too! I laughed my tail off at this episode-I hope you'll enjoy it. Have fun,Dave Merryman"

When Bruce wrote to Dave this was the title of the episode, "Keesha tries to get me arrested."
Bruce went on to write, "Well I had an interesting "Airedale" kind of day today. I am still waiting to see if I get a complaint filed on us from any wayward animal rights activists. Keesha spent pretty much the whole day with me, much of the time in the field goofing off getting burrs in her fur. She rides very well in the back of my truck, and won't jump out or get out unless I tell her to. I had at first been careful having her around other animals, and here in the yard she proved herself that she wasn't going to chomp the cats too hard, so I started loosening up. She bounces around the cats, barks at them, and that's about it. Sooooooo, I am driving on the edge of town here, farm field on one side of the road, residential on the other. I see three coons walking down the ditch, probably pushed out of a corn field being harvested. I have been letting Keesha out on pheasants as I see them, and figured I'd let her smell where the coons have been, to see what she thinks. I figure that even if she goes after them, they will climb one of the nearby poles, or she will just bounce around them like she does the cats. WRONG! My God Dave I dropped the tailgate and went to grab her collar, and she bailed out of that truck at Mach 3. I hadn't noticed but she had a visual lock on those coons ever since I pulled up to that spot. She didn't stop to sniff, trail, or anything. She ran right into all three of them as hard as she could, with absolutely zero regard for their claws and teeth. She latched into one of them and sent the other two flying. She started shaking the one as the other two ran for their lives. She drug that coon right out of the ditch and onto the city street where anyone could see. She started shaking it, and while she shook it, it's head kept whacking against the street. The coon started screaming.........loudly, and of course I am yelling at Keesha to let go, and trying to grab the coon from her. It is not season here yet, and the only dog training you are supposed to do is treeing and trailing. Keesha realized I was trying to get the coon from her so she ran a ways into the field with it in her mouth. I got the two separated, and put Keesha back into the truck. I had to thump the coon in the head, cause she pretty well had devastated it. Anyhow I look over toward the residential side of the street and there stands a man and a woman, out on their deck watching the whole ordeal. So I am waiting to see if I get any complaints filed on me for coon poaching, even though I left the coon in the field. I always have known that Airedales have it in them but had let my guard down with Keesha because of the way she is around our cats. I'm telling you this dog acted like a switch had been flipped in her, and she just became a killing machine. It was kind of awesome, if it hadn't been such a public display, and two weeks before season opens. Anyway given my line of work, I am assuming that complaints will be filed on me, but you never know. She is still my best buddy, I just know now that her and coons do not mix. See you in a few weeks. Bruce"
Well, I'm sure glad we get to share that story with the Full Cry readers. Over the years I have heard several people refer to " the switch" in the Airedale Terrier. They are so friendly and amiable with their people and generally around other dogs and animals, that the first time an Airedale owner witnesses the dogs attack mode on coon, boar or other game, it has a rather stunning effect. The switch is an appropriate description of the transformation that takes place.
My guess is that Keesha encountered some Indiana coon before she moved to Iowa. Maybe she has a score to settle.
I have heard Henry Johnson say over the years that having Airedales from any given line is like having kinfolk all over the country, wherever those dogs may be. I recently heard from a woman in Ohio that expands that theory, with an interesting twist.

"Dear RDR Ranch, I live in Warsaw Ohio & was loading my Cherokee at the local super Wal-Mart in Millersburg on Friday the 24th. My faithful Airedale BoBo of course was sitting there waiting for me and along came your sister Ellen to pet him. She said you raised Airedales and to send you a email. My Airedale is 5yrs old and I was raised with these dogs. My parents had them as kids, we grew up with one, two of my sisters have them also. Ellen loved BoBo, in that he is really well behaved. (devoted to me helps) I wanted to say Hi and I am interested in a puppy this spring. Hope to hear from you soon. Mary"

Good to hear from you Mary. I am stunned that there is a Wal-Mart in Millersburg. I have always considered Holmes county as a possible refuge, when I wanted to remove myself from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Maybe the hills out side of Killbuck will stay remote.
I will be in touch with you, and will be happy to help you locate a pup in the spring.

Speaking of pups, I heard from Bob McClellan that he bred his dog Kelly to a two year old, female named Lacey. Lacey is owned by Stan Wilkersham and is from Steve Brown out of a Dusty/Shonie cross. Dusty is Cajun/Maggie and I believe Shonie is a Cajun/Cherokee Rose. Cajun is now with Matt Thom in Arizona.

LACY OWNED BY STAN WILKERSHAM

If this cross takes hold they should be some good pups. I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of you.
I just had a nice phone conversation with Stan Wilkersham, he told me he woke up this morning to some snow on the ground so he hit the woods, to see what was out there today. He saw lots of bear tracks but was looking for bobcat. He finally saw some tracks but nothing much came of it.
Earlier this spring, he took Lacey on a 90 mile cattle drive. He said of all the dogs, she was the only one that completed the entire 90 miles on foot. He also said she learned some valuable lessons about how tough a cow with a calf to protect can really be. She learned to back off when the cow turns into a face off. He mentioned that she seemed to feel secure under his horse and the horse didn't seem to mind.
Pups are due the third week in December, Stan's phone number is 541-884-3054. Tell him I said hello if you call.

I was glad to get a letter from Odon Corr in which he said, " Greetings from Central South Dakota. It's a great time for the outdoors person. Hunting seasons are starting and the fur is beginning to get prime. I have taken a few coons so far with the dogs. I have a young female I got from Johnstons in Wyoming. She is out of Sage, who is a Buster pup. Her sire was 'Wyoming Clown'. She shows promise. I have always used a Jack Russell or two with the Airedales on coon. They can get into the really tight places. The males also have a dual purpose as they are great heat detectors of the female Airedales. I have never been too concerned about a breeding because of their small size. Well it happened. My Nell dog, 10 years old, had three female pups last Sunday. They are from my Jack Russell male " Trapper"! I don't know if I should call them Jack-Dales or Aire-Russells. I did a similar cross about ten years ago when I was still a government hunter. That cross was intended with a small size Airedale male and a larger size Jack Russell female. This time it was not intentional. Two of the dogs from that first cross went on to be coyote dogs. One, the dog called "Stubby", is featured in the video, "Dogging Coyotes". I heard that Stubby died this summer in Utah. Anyway I will be looking for homes for the three the end of December. They are out of hard hunting fearless parents and should reach about 35 lbs. at maturity.
Good Hunting, Odon Corr"
Odon, I ask John Houben one time what he wanted in an Airedale and he told me he wanted a " 45lbs. Jack Russell Terrier." I'll email him and tell him what you've got. Anyone else interested just get in touch with me and I will connect you with Odon .

Billy Harkins sent another story, right up to par again; " A few weeks ago my two cousins Doug Gunn and Ben Hooper pulled up in my yard right before day light with three of their dogs for me to sew up for them. They told me that they were going to go back to the mountains and get the hog that they had killed.
After I had gotten up and got a cup of coffee down me I went out to inspect the damage. They had two pit bull dogs and Airedale Sass. All three dogs were cut all over and two of the dogs had injured legs. I thought to myself that they must have gotten on a bad hog from the looks of things or either they had packed the catch dogs too soon and couldn't get to them soon enough to throw the hog. Anyway I got some antibiotics in them and sewed up every thing that looked like needed to be sewn up. When they got back with the hog I couldn't hardly believe that it only weighed around 175 pounds and just had about one inch cutters on him. I believe that some hogs just have a little more fight in them than others and this fellow was plenty gamy. They told me that it had crossed the road in front of them and they turned right on it. Doug said that the dogs caught the hog and he jumped off a twenty foot embankment with them. He said that it didn't take that long to get to them and that the dogs had him hemmed up at the bottom of the bank. One of them stuck the hog and got him killed out but the old hog had all ready left his mark on the dogs. I looked on Sass's papers; she is eight years old and from the looks of things she is still going strong. I thought the story might inspire some of you old guys! Billy Harkins"
Billy, seven times eight is fifty-six. Which "old guy's" were you hoping to inspire???

BOBO OWNED BY MARY LAUGESEN

Larry Wertan the author of "The Lost Champion" wrote to Henry and Henry passed this on to me. Larry wrote, "I was talking to a woman who home schools at the pool where Jackie takes a PT class. She lives in White County (north Georgia). She was out in her yard when she spotted a fox running through the yard, and a couple of seconds behind came a full size Puma! Larry"
I liked Bob McClellans response to the story a lot. Bob wrote, "Nothing surprises me anymore. The cats are turning up all over the place where they aren't supposed to be. Kentucky, Missouri, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Maine. There have been sightings in all of those states. Oh, Pennsylvania too. PA. has been a hot spot for years. Most wildlife agencies refuse to admit their existence, but every once in awhile someone comes up with a photo or a video tape. Then they claim it must be an escaped pet. Endangered species? If anything, they are extending their range! Bob Mc"
It is always good to hear from Bob. As I have said in the past, he spends as much time in the woods as anyone I know. If he is getting any snow, I'll bet he is out looking around today, to see what game is moving.

Well that's it for this month folks, but before I go I would like to wish you all the best in the coming Holidays. Remember it is being with the people you care about that is important, make time to be with your children, your parents, your family and your friends. They will remind you of what is important in life.
Remember as Henry S. Johnson Jr. always said " Let us hear from you Airedale people. And don't forget to put your arms around those furry black and tan dogs with the beards and the moustaches and talk to them. They are people dogs and family members."
Respectfully submitted, Kevin G. Kelly, Pacific Coast Corresponding Secretary for the Working Airedale Terrier Association. No rules, regulations, officers, dues or formal affiliations, its more a state of mind.
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