--- title: Gun Dog Training From Los Angeles | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/ 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/) - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - Los Angeles # Los Angeles to Rio Vista: the long way to a bird dog Rio Vista is about 6.8 hours and 367 miles from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 6.8 hours 367 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Los Angeles US Census Bureau - **Population:** 3,857,263 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 37.2 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. Los Angeles is the largest city in California, with about 3.86 million residents and a median age of 37.2 (Census Bureau). Hunting happens outside the city, so most Los Angeles owners already travel for their birds. ## Almost seven hours The road distance is about 367 miles, and OpenStreetMap routing puts it at about 6.8 hours with no traffic. Los Angeles traffic and the Grapevine will add to that. This is the overnight tier, a long day each way. Dogs come to Richard from all over California, so a long trip is a normal part of board-and-train. For Richard, call about drop-off and pick-up from Southern California. ## What CDFW lists for Southern California For the Southern California Zone, CDFW lists 2026-27 ducks Oct 24 to Jan 31, scaup Nov 7 to Jan 31 and geese Oct 24 to Jan 31. Confirm Los Angeles County's zone on the CDFW zone map before you plan around those dates. The statewide picture is on our [seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/). ## How a Southern California owner can plan it The dog stays at Hastings Island during the work, so there are no repeat trips. The [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) has the overview. - Call Richard and describe the dog, its age and your hunting. - Decide with him on the program and the timing; lengths and weekly rates are published. - Travel north once for drop-off. Ask whether pick-up and a lesson can share a trip. - Learn the dog's commands in a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/), then drive home together. ## Clubs in the Los Angeles area The Southern California Retriever Club lists field trials near Niland in Imperial County, and the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Southern California and the Vizsla Club of Southern California list events at Camp H in California City, all on the 2026 calendar. Verify any date through AKC Event Search or the club. Read about [German Shorthaired Pointers](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/german-shorthaired-pointer/) and [Vizslas](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/vizsla/) if you own one. ## Hours to keep in mind Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call first; he sets drop-off times by phone and prefers Wednesday to Saturday. With nearly seven hours of driving, plan your arrival with Richard rather than dropping in. Los Angeles County residents also hunt out of state and abroad, and a dog trained for a California season carries those skills elsewhere. Ask Richard how the training would fit your own hunting calendar. ### Sources (3) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Waterfowl) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0644000](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0644000) (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 - [Southern California](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/southern-california/) - [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 Riverside to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/riverside/) ## Other drive times [Palmdale](https://royalgundogs.com/from/palmdale/)[Alturas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/alturas/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Lancaster](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lancaster/)[Tulelake](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/)[Irvine](https://royalgundogs.com/from/irvine/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/) ## Questions from Los Angeles owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Los Angeles? About 6.8 hours and 367 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I do it as a same-day round trip? No. Plan on a long travel day each way, and call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from Southern California. ### Does the Southern California zone apply to me? Confirm your county on the CDFW zone map; this page does not assign zones.