--- title: Dog Training From Alturas, CA | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/alturas/ business: Royal Gun Dogs trainer: Richard Gebhart (professional gun dog trainer since 2002) phone: (530) 341-4496 email: royalgundogs@yahoo.com trains_at: Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, Rio Vista, CA 94571 (Solano County) booking: call or text Richard directly --- - [Home](https://royalgundogs.com/) - [All of California](https://royalgundogs.com/from/) - [North State](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/north-state/) - Alturas # Alturas to Rio Vista: 6.8 hours from Modoc County Rio Vista is about 6.8 hours and 326 miles from Alturas by road. Richard Gebhart trains bird dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Alturas to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 6.8 hours 326 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Modoc US Census Bureau - **Population:** 2,681 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 45.3 ACS 5-year 2024 Drive estimate from road routing between town centers (no traffic), pulled October 2026. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Alturas, the Modoc County seat, has 2,681 residents and a median age of 45.3 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It is the smallest town in this batch and one of the farthest from the Delta. ## How far it really is About 326 miles and 6.8 hours is the longest drive in this batch. Count on most of a day each direction, not a morning. OpenStreetMap routing supplies the figure and assumes no traffic or weather. For that reason a trip to Rio Vista should be planned around one clear purpose. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from Modoc County, then plan the rest around what he says. Google lists his hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. ## Modoc National Wildlife Refuge Modoc National Wildlife Refuge covers about 7,000 acres in northeastern California and runs a 2026-27 waterfowl season with self-service check-in cards. Access is on foot or by non-motorized cart only, and sandhill cranes, snow geese and tundra swans use it (USFWS). Hunting on foot or by cart means a dog does a lot of walking and often works from the shore. A dog that can mark a fall, take a line across open water and deliver cleanly will get more out of those days. The [line manners guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/honoring-delivery-line-manners/) explains the basics. ## Board-and-train for the far north The dog stays with Richard through [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/), and he decides the plan for each dog, with program lengths and weekly rates published. Ask him what he recommends for drop-off and pick-up from Modoc County. A lesson at pick-up is worth asking about. [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) show you how to give the same commands the dog learned at Hastings Island, so the training carries into a Modoc County blind. ## Seasons and rules Refuges publish their own seasons, permits and access rules, and they change from year to year. For statewide dates, the [2026-27 seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) summarizes CDFW's posted dates, and CDFW's regulations booklet is the legal source. Check both before you plan a hunt, and confirm your county on the CDFW zone map. ## Where to start reading Browse the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) and the [breeds hub](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/) to match your dog. If you ever plan to enter a hunt test, the [first hunt test guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/first-hunt-test/) explains how to start. ### Sources (3) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/modoc](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/modoc) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/](https://hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/) (checked October 27, 2026) - American Kennel Club : [akc.org/sports/retrievers/hunting-tests/](https://www.akc.org/sports/retrievers/hunting-tests/) (checked October 27, 2026) ### Where Richard trains Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, 7758 Hastings Island Rd, near Rio Vista in Solano County. Call before you drive out. [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Hastings+Island+Hunting+Preserve+Rio+Vista+CA&destination_place_id=ChIJA_E9R8AphYAR_4YnvcqbaAU) ### Start here - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Free training consult](https://royalgundogs.com/free-consult/) ### Your trainer Richard Gebhart has trained dogs professionally since 2002, learned the Rex Carr method for Retriever Basics under Billy Sargenti, and has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. [Meet Richard](https://royalgundogs.com/richard-gebhart/) ### Related - [North State](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/north-state/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Tulelake to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/) - [From Susanville to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/) ## Other drive times [Palmdale](https://royalgundogs.com/from/palmdale/)[Los Angeles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/)[Lancaster](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lancaster/)[Tulelake](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/)[Irvine](https://royalgundogs.com/from/irvine/) ## Questions from Alturas owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Alturas from Rio Vista? About 6.8 hours and 326 miles by road, from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. ### What refuge is near Alturas? Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, about 7,000 acres, runs a 2026-27 waterfowl season with check-in cards and foot or cart access (USFWS). ### How do I get a dog to Richard from Modoc County? Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up. He sets the plan by phone. ### Does Richard take dogs from far away? Dogs come to Richard from all over California for board-and-train.