--- title: Gun Dog Training From Colusa | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/ 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/) - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - Colusa # Colusa: duck country and a dog worth bringing Rio Vista is about 119 minutes and 92 miles from Colusa by road, just under two hours. Richard Gebhart trains retrievers and upland dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve in Rio Vista, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Colusa to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 119 minutes 92 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Colusa US Census Bureau - **Population:** 6,505 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 38.1 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. 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](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/marks-and-blind-retrieves/) explains, and honoring another dog's retrieve, covered in the [line manners guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/honoring-delivery-line-manners/), 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. Getting there Item Colusa to Rio Vista Drive time about 119 minutes Distance about 92 miles Training site Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, Rio Vista ## 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](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) is the program to ask about, with [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/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](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/calm-dog-in-the-duck-blind/) 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](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/hunting-dog-and-family-pet/) explains how a working dog fits into a household. ### Sources (3) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/colusa](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/colusa) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline](https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.html](https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/acs-5year.html) (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 - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Willows to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/) - [Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) ## Other drive times [Placerville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/)[Marysville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/marysville/)[Merced](https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/)[Yuba City](https://royalgundogs.com/from/yuba-city/)[San Jose](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-jose/)[Los Banos](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/)[Sonora](https://royalgundogs.com/from/sonora/)[Willows](https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/) ## Questions from Colusa owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Colusa? About 119 minutes and 92 miles by road, with no traffic. ### How does Colusa County rank for waterfowl? CDFW's 2024 survey named Colusa most often, at 13.19 percent of respondents. The survey reports where people hunt, not where they live. ### Is Colusa National Wildlife Refuge open to hunters? The USFWS refuge page lists a waterfowl hunt. Confirm current rules and passes with USFWS. ### Does Colusa have its own hunt tests? The 2026 California calendar lists clubs in Corning, Anderson and elsewhere in the north. Check AKC Event Search for current dates.