Boykins?

[Commando]

Anyone run Boykins on here? I’m toying with the idea of getting one but am kind of hesitant. How are they for the duck hunting up here in the salt and bigger rivers like the Columbia? I’ve always been a lab guy but would like to get something smaller and the Boykin has definitely got my interest.

[T-Bone]

I love Boykins, but due to a thicker coat, an American Water Spaniel (the Boykin's close cousin) might be a better choice. I had an AWS years ago and hunted the tidal marsh with him wearing a neoprene vest. Here is a video of a happy, AWS owner:

https://www.refugeforums.com/threads/2019-opener.1051801/

[pens fan]

I've never hunted salt with my Boykins, but my only fear would be sea lions looking for a treat. Other than that they can handle the cold and current about as well as any other dog. In strong currents they may have to work more but I would think they have less freeboard under water to deal with.

[jagermiester]

Cammando
This is a great website when looking for breeders. It looks like there are 210 breeders listed on this site. I think that these dogs are extremely popular in the South. I am sure that with the right research you can find an extremely well bred dog that will exceed all of your expectations. Good luck and keep us all posted on how it turns out.


https://www.gundogbreeders.com

[jagermiester]

You got me interested so I did some looking and I thought that these guys looked like they would be a really good place to start. I will say though I have twice gone on road trips to go pick up puppies and I think that it is a great way to bond with a pup and see the country. Both times I rented cars that got awesome fuel economy and it was a really cool experience. Once again keep posting I would love to see what you end up doing.



http://www.crandallcreekkennel.com/

https://pugetsoundboykins.com/about/

[Commando]

Thanks for the info guys. I hadn’t thought of the sea lion thing but that’s definitely something to think about. I don’t hunt the salt a lot but do on occasion. They’ve definitely got my interest though. I love my lab but he’s just to big for us as a family and think a smaller dog would be better

[T-Bone]

The sea lion thing is more speculation than reality. Prior to moving to E. WA, I hunted the tidal marshes of Skagit Bay for 20+ years with side hunting trips to Grays Harbor Bay, and Willapa Bay. In the tidal duck marshes no sea lions, but a small harbor seal did pop up on a wade to the duck blind in Skagit Bay. The seal came up within feet of my friend and startled the heck out of him; prior to a quick disappearance. The dog was at the blind by then and just ignored it.

[pens fan]

   My concern with sea lions comes from a trip to the Nisqually delta. I didn't have my dogs in the boat but that sea lion grabbed a cripple and we never saw it again.
   As for breeders, always make sure the pups are BSS registered. And always make sure the health test requirements are done on BOTH parents. If you are looking for a smaller breed to do what labs do, you are looking in the right direction. Attached (I hope) is a podcast with Lone Duck and Blaine Tarnecki of Hudson River Retrievers in Georgia. This is 90 minutes of listening to Boykin talk. I know Blaine well and met Lone Duck the morning after this podcast was done while I was there to breed my little girl. Blaine was leaving that morning to run a few Boykins in the Grand in SC last April.

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/lone-ducks-gun-dog/e-20-oh-boyboykins-with-OiM3-DqxKTg/

[jagermiester]

I would think that a sea lion really wouldn’t care if it was a Boykin, a Lab or a Great Dane? They are almost an Apex predator. Killer whales are their only natural predator around here. That's what you have to worry about with all the Chinook gone killer whales are going to start eating our waterfowl dogs 

[pens fan]

True. But a smaller dog is easier prey. A Dane has more strength. If you hunt waterfowl with a Dane I will gladly like to participate in your barge!
My point is that there are predatory critters here that I would be concerned about as much as a person in Florida or any southern coastal state would worry about gators.

[pens fan]

Also, if you ARE looking for a pup I have a line on some excellent ones right now. They are in Georgia and they aren't mine... But I wish they were.

[shootem]

My Boykin is 6 years old, big for breed(50+ lbs), and game for anything. I love him. He kicks ass on dry ground and water. He is out of Brandywine Creek Boykin Spaniels in Indiana. I bought him to complement hunting with my labs which I have had for 40 years. He is usd as my hot weather hunter with my lab doing the cold work. They obviosly overlap in what they can do. We are on our way back from South Dakota pheasant hunting where both dogs did fantastic. He loves water at least as much as any lab I have ever owned. That said, I don't think the breed is best for what you are looking for. Like most Boykins he does not have an under coat so does not do as well as double coat breeds in cold water. Boykins were bred to hunt the warm south not the cold big salt water of the northwest. If you want to hunt big cold current water stick with the breeds known to perform in that enviorenment like labs, labs, labs, and chessies.

[Stein]

I wouldn't worry about sea lions, they eat fish and are pretty smart.

Regarding the dog, you could also just get a smaller lab, our chocolate is right under 60 pounds.

[pens fan]

I'm not going to argue the semantics of this breed vs. that breed. I will say this: Boykins were bred exclusively with Chessies and American Water Spaniels. (Some breeders injected other breeds suchs as springers and GSP's later on creating issues not desired ) and if anyone is going to argue those two breeds are not cold weather capable I question their education. And if anyone thinks it is 85 degrees in South Carolina during duck season needs to go to SC during duck season.
Boykins are touted as hot weather dogs but they are conditioned for it, the same way we should all condition our dogs prior to more extreme weather. 
If you want more information, Commando, on Boykin, look up Western States Boykin Spaniel Club of Facebook. There are other clubs of FB, such as Northwest Boykin Spaniel Club, Boykins in Alaska, Utah Boykin Spaniel Enthusiasts, Boykins in Alaska, or Shasta Cascades BSC.
Or... Next weekend (nov1-3) we are having our annual Boykin-Only hunt at Potholes. We are featuring a guided goose hunt with Echternkamp's and will be doing a Duck hunt Sunday. Some may opt to just hunt for quail and pheasant. We are staying at Mardon Resort. Feel free to join us just to be around the dogs and owners. Bring beer.

[Carl]

That Boykin-only hunt sounds like a great time!  Can I rent a Boykin for the weekend? 

I've seen Pens Fan's dogs and they are amazing. 

Carl