--- title: Gun Dog Training From Merced | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/ 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/) - Merced # Merced to Rio Vista: training a bird dog from the heart of waterfowl country Rio Vista is about 2.1 hours and 103 miles from Merced 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 Merced to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 2.1 hours 103 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Merced US Census Bureau - **Population:** 91,953 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 30.0 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. Merced is a city of about 92,000 with a median age of 30.0 (Census Bureau), in a county whose wetlands hunters rank among the state's best for ducks and geese. A young city with that much marsh around it is a natural place to want a dog that can retrieve in real water. ## Where Merced sits on the map From Merced, the road to Rio Vista runs about 103 miles. OpenStreetMap routing, with no traffic, puts it at about 2.1 hours, so this page files Merced under the long-drive tier. Think of a long day each way, and give yourself a cushion for traffic. Because the dog stays at Hastings Island for the work, the number of times you make that drive stays small. The [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) page explains the arrangement, and the [San Joaquin Valley region page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) shows how Merced compares with the other valley cities. ## What the hunter survey says about Merced County CDFW's 2024 Waterfowl Hunter Survey named Merced County second among all counties, at 9.20 percent of respondents (Technical Report, June 2025). The survey records where hunters go, not where they live, so it says nothing about who trains with Richard. It does show that the county's marsh draws a crowd every season. Los Banos Wildlife Area covers about 6,200 acres and offers waterfowl and pheasant on limited days, and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge adds over 26,800 acres (CDFW and USFWS). Both are in Merced County. A retriever that has learned steadiness and delivery in a controlled setting is easier to manage on days like those. ## A plan for a dog that lives in Merced Handler lessons can be one-on-one or in a group. They are how a trained dog becomes your dog. - Phone Richard and tell him the breed, the age and whether you hunt ducks, pheasant or both. - Settle the program and timing with him. Lengths and weekly rates are on the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/). - Ask about drop-off and pick-up from the San Joaquin Valley, then drive the dog to Rio Vista. - Come back for a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/), so the commands the dog learned work for you too. ## Clubs on the valley's west side The Vizsla Club of Northern California lists a pointing-breed event at O'Neill Forebay Wildlife Area in Santa Nella, in Merced County, on the 2026 calendar. For retrievers, the [California hunt test calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) explains how to check AKC Event Search for current tests and links to the clubs hosting them. If you own a pointing breed, start with the [Vizsla](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/vizsla/) page; for a Lab, see [Labrador Retriever](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/labrador-retriever/). ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline](https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/san-luis](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san-luis) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0646898](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0646898) (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 [Los Banos](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/)[Sonora](https://royalgundogs.com/from/sonora/)[Willows](https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/)[Colusa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/)[Placerville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/)[Grass Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/from/grass-valley/)[Marysville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/marysville/)[Santa Cruz](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-cruz/) ## Questions from Merced owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Merced? About 2.1 hours and 103 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Does Merced County's high hunter-survey rank mean local owners train with Richard? No. The survey counts where hunters hunt, not where they live. Dogs come to Richard from all over California, so a Merced owner is one of many. ### Can the dog stay at Hastings Island while I go home? Yes, that is what board-and-train is. Call Richard to set the plan, and ask him about drop-off and pick-up from the valley. ### Which public refuges are near Merced? Los Banos Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, both in Merced County. See the [refuges data page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) for acreage.