--- title: Gun Dog Training From Fresno | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/fresno/ 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/) - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - Fresno # Fresno owners: planning the drive to Rio Vista Rio Vista is about 3.2 hours and 156 miles from Fresno by road. Richard Gebhart trains at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and owners bring dogs to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Fresno to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 3.2 hours 156 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Fresno US Census Bureau - **Population:** 545,970 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 32.8 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. Fresno is the largest city in the central San Joaquin Valley, with about 546,000 residents and a median age of 32.8 (Census Bureau). Dogs come to Richard from across California, and the Valley is part of that range, so this page lays out what the trip involves. ## Three hours north The drive is about 156 miles and about 3.2 hours with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). It is a long drive in each direction, and the site places Fresno in the long-drive tier. Set aside the better part of a day for each trip. That shapes the plan. Instead of a weekly drive, a Fresno owner uses board-and-train: the dog stays at Hastings Island, and you travel for drop-off, a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) and pick-up. Call Richard about the schedule that suits you. ## Mendota and the west side Mendota Wildlife Area, about 11,800 acres in Fresno County roughly 40 miles from Fresno, runs limited-day waterfowl and pheasant hunting, and CDFW's page says dog training is allowed in designated areas outside waterfowl season. If you hunt Mendota, you already know the demands: open water, wind, long retrieves. The page is worth reading in full before you plan a day: [our refuges data page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) summarizes it and links CDFW. ## Why drive to the Delta at all A trainer's ground matters. Hastings Island is a hunting preserve in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with marsh, upland cover and a long game bird season, which the preserve gives as mid-September to mid-March. Richard's background spans retrievers and, since 2013, pointers and other upland breeds, so one stay can cover both waterfowl and upland work. 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." ## Valley clubs The Central Coast Hunting Retriever Club of California lists a hunt test at the CRTA Goose Lake grounds in Lost Hills, and the Arrowhead English Springer Spaniel Club lists events at Kincaid Wildlife Management Area near Porterville. Both are within the southern Valley. Check AKC Event Search for current schedules. If you are new to testing, the [AKC versus HRC page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/akc-vs-hrc/) explains the difference. ## Hours and timing Because the drive is more than three hours, timing matters. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first and agree a drop-off time with him; Wednesday through Saturday is his preferred window. Leave Fresno early enough to arrive well inside the window, and ask Richard which day suits a drop-off. The [how to book training](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/how-to-book-training/) answer lists what to expect from the first call. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Mendota-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Mendota-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0627000](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0627000) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/dog-training/](https://hihp.com/dog-training/) (checked October 27, 2026) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (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 - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Waterfowl habitat and refuges in California](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) - [From Los Banos to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/) ## Other drive times [Monterey](https://royalgundogs.com/from/monterey/)[Red Bluff](https://royalgundogs.com/from/red-bluff/)[Salinas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/salinas/)[Chico](https://royalgundogs.com/from/chico/)[Redding](https://royalgundogs.com/from/redding/)[Hanford](https://royalgundogs.com/from/hanford/)[Visalia](https://royalgundogs.com/from/visalia/)[Oroville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/oroville/) ## Questions from Fresno owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Fresno? About 3.2 hours and 156 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I visit during training? Fresno is about 3.2 hours from Rio Vista, so a visit is a long drive each way. Call Richard about visits and handler lessons. ### What about drop-off and pick-up? With board-and-train the dog stays with Richard, so the trip from Fresno, about 3.2 hours each way, is one drop-off and one pick-up. Call Richard about both.