Hanford to Rio Vista: what the drive and the duck season mean for your dog

Hanford, the seat of Kings County, has about 60,000 residents and a median age of 32.5 (Census Bureau). It lies in the middle of the southern San Joaquin Valley, with duck habitat in several directions once the fall rains arrive.

The drive in plain numbers

The figures come from OpenStreetMap routing and ignore traffic, so real trips can run longer. Treat it as a long day each way.

Reading the 2026-27 season line

CDFW's waterfowl page lists a Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone for 2026-27 with ducks from October 24 to January 31 and geese from October 24 to January 31 (fetched October 27, 2026). The page gives no list of counties, so confirm where Kings County falls on the CDFW zone map before you plan around those dates. The full table is on our 2026-27 seasons page.

A duck season that long rewards a dog that is dependable on repeated retrieves, not one that is merely eager.

Public ground in the south valley

Kern National Wildlife Refuge, 19 miles west of Delano, allows waterfowl hunting and is closed to non-hunters on Wednesdays and Saturdays from October to January (USFWS). Mendota Wildlife Area in Fresno County covers about 11,800 acres and sets aside designated areas for dog training outside waterfowl season (CDFW).

Mendota's dog-training areas are for practice on your own time. Board-and-train with Richard is a different thing: the work happens at Hastings Island with a professional.

Making four hours worth it

Richard trains handlers as well as dogs, so the drive back is the start of the partnership, not the end of the program.

1. Decide what the dog should do in the blind: sit steady, mark falls, take a line.
2. Call Richard and talk through age, breed and experience so he can set the plan.
3. Ask how drop-off and pick-up would work from the south valley, and book the trip.
4. Arrange a handler lesson at pick-up so you can run the dog yourself.

Time the call before the opener

Duck season opens October 24 this year, so the weeks before it are busy for everyone with a dog to prepare. If you are reading this in the fall, phone early (he likes dogs booked a month out, and six weeks is better), and ask Richard what is realistic for your dog's age and experience. The opener readiness guide lists what a retriever should handle before the first shoot, and the Labrador Retriever page covers the most common duck-dog breed.