--- title: Gun Dog Training From Hanford | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/hanford/ 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/) - Hanford # Hanford to Rio Vista: what the drive and the duck season mean for your dog Rio Vista is about 3.9 hours and 190 miles from Hanford by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Hanford to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 3.9 hours 190 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Kings US Census Bureau - **Population:** 59,754 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 32.5 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. 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. The drive in plain numbers Measure Hanford to Rio Vista Road miles about 190 Drive time, no traffic about 3.9 hours Tier on this site long-drive ## 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](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/). 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. - Decide what the dog should do in the blind: sit steady, mark falls, take a line. - Call Richard and talk through age, breed and experience so he can set the plan. - Ask how drop-off and pick-up would work from the south valley, and book the trip. - Arrange a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) 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](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/ready-for-the-waterfowl-opener/) lists what a retriever should handle before the first shoot, and the [Labrador Retriever page](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/labrador-retriever/) covers the most common duck-dog breed. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl) (checked October 27, 2026) - 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. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/kern](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/kern) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0631960](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0631960) (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/) - [California 2026-27 waterfowl and upland seasons](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) - [From Visalia to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/visalia/) ## Other drive times [Visalia](https://royalgundogs.com/from/visalia/)[Tulare](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulare/)[Redding](https://royalgundogs.com/from/redding/)[Fresno](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fresno/)[Monterey](https://royalgundogs.com/from/monterey/)[Red Bluff](https://royalgundogs.com/from/red-bluff/)[Paso Robles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/paso-robles/)[Salinas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/salinas/) ## Questions from Hanford owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Hanford? About 3.9 hours and 190 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Which duck zone covers Hanford? This page does not assign one. CDFW lists a Southern San Joaquin Valley Zone, and you should confirm Kings County on the CDFW zone map. ### Can I train at Mendota Wildlife Area instead? Mendota allows dog training in designated areas outside waterfowl season. Professional board-and-train at Hastings Island is separate; call Richard to discuss it. ### Who handles drop-off and pick-up? Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the San Joaquin Valley; he sets the details.