Davis to Rio Vista: where the Yolo Bypass leads

Davis is a Yolo County city of 66,978 people with a median age of 26.4, one of the youngest in our set (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits beside one of the Central Valley's best-known floodplain wetlands.

The Yolo Bypass next door

Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area covers about 16,600 acres and about 7,900 acres are open to waterfowl and upland hunting. CDFW places it about 10 miles west of Sacramento next to Davis. Its page says dogs are not allowed, so plan your dog's training around other ground.

That makes a training trip to Rio Vista more useful for a Davis hunter, since a dog needs exposure to cover, birds and water somewhere.

Fifty-six minutes in numbers

Measured with OpenStreetMap routing and no traffic.

Young owners, first dogs

Start with the guide to choosing a gun dog trainer, then read how the starting age question is handled in the FAQ.

When you are ready, board-and-train is the program that lets Richard handle the day-to-day work while you learn at handler lessons.

What the drive buys you

An hour in the car is enough time to talk through the dog's progress. If you bring the dog down yourself, ask Richard whether a handler lesson can fit the same day.

Richard teaches the handler as well as the dog. His philosophy is "Balance, encouraging the hunting drive and desire in the dog, coupled with the necessary 'team player' attitude to develop an exceptional hunting partner or competitive team."

Beyond the bypass

For ground where dogs are welcome, see Grizzly Island, where CDFW allows dogs on a 10-foot leash when you are not hunting, or the Delta pages on this site. The Grizzly Island page has the details.

Birds, seasons and where to read about them

CDFW lists Balance of State ducks as October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027, but zones are set by county, so confirm yours on the CDFW zone map before planning around any date. Our 2026-27 seasons page collects the dates with their sources.

Yolo Bypass is a short drive, but because it excludes dogs, your retriever's first real exposure to decoys, wind and wings often has to come from somewhere else. A preserve with planted birds is one answer, and Hastings Island is the preserve where Richard works.