Colusa: duck country and a dog worth bringing

Colusa is a small city of 6,505 people with a median age of 38.1 (Census ACS 5-year 2024), but its county is the most-named waterfowl county in California.

Number one in the survey

CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey counted respondents who named each county for waterfowl hunting. Colusa came first at 13.19 percent, ahead of Merced (9.20), Butte (8.71), Yolo (5.52) and Glenn (5.49).

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge covers 5,077 acres one mile southwest of town. It regularly holds more than 150,000 wintering ducks and about 60,000 geese, peaking in December and January, and offers a waterfowl hunt (USFWS).

What that means for a retriever

A dog that hunts here sees heavy bird numbers and long seasons. Marks and blind retrieves in open water are the daily work, which the marks and blinds guide explains, and honoring another dog's retrieve, covered in the line manners guide, matters in a blind.

Getting there

Routing is OpenStreetMap with no traffic. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up; he sets each plan himself.

Why owners go the distance

Richard's philosophy is balance between a dog's hunting drive and the team-player attitude a hunting partner needs. If you want that for a dog that works the Colusa refuge, board-and-train is the program to ask about, with handler lessons when the dog comes home.

Another look at the numbers

The 13.19 percent figure is the share of survey respondents who named Colusa County, not the share of hunters who live there. CDFW also reports about 79,835 adult licensed waterfowl hunters in California, and 53.3 percent of respondents primarily hunt public land.

On shared public ground, a dog that stays quiet and returns birds to hand is a real asset. See the calm dog in the duck blind guide for what that looks like.

Keeping the training alive at home

A program only works if the owner keeps it going. After pick-up, practice the commands in short sessions, and keep a lesson on the calendar. The hunting dog and family pet FAQ explains how a working dog fits into a household.