From Modesto: getting a dog to Hastings Island

Modesto is the Stanislaus County seat, with about 219,000 residents and a median age of 35.1 (Census Bureau). It is in the northern San Joaquin Valley, with Delta marsh to the north and the wetlands of Merced County to the south.

Your distance, in plain terms

Rio Vista is about 63 miles and about 80 minutes from Modesto with no traffic. Add time at busy hours. That is a day-trip distance, so a drop-off or a lesson fits in one long morning.

Richard sometimes trains retrievers at Denverton, near Suisun City. Call before you drive out so he can tell you where he will be.

Hunting grounds south of town

Los Banos Wildlife Area, about 6,200 acres of wetland in Merced County, is described by CDFW as about 40 miles from Modesto and offers waterfowl and pheasant on limited hunt days. A Modesto hunter can work it or head north to the Delta.

Hunters tend to prefer variety, and so should the dog. The Rio Vista ground mixes marsh and upland cover, which suits a dog that hunts more than one bird.

A table of next steps

Program lengths and weekly rates are published; Richard decides which program and how many weeks, so the first call is the way to get real answers.

Clubs around the valley

The German Wirehaired Pointer Club of Northern California lists a test at Kistler Ranch in Jamestown, and the Vizsla Club of Northern California lists an event at O'Neill Forebay Wildlife Area in Santa Nella. For retrievers, see the California hunt test calendar page.

Planning around the valley's seasons

Modesto owners often hunt more than one bird in a season. A calendar helps: waterfowl in the fall and winter, pheasant in the weeks CDFW opens, and quail and chukar over a longer stretch. Our 2026-27 seasons page lists the dated seasons and links to CDFW. Confirm your county on the CDFW zone map before you plan, then call Richard about how the training fits your calendar.

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. Richard sets drop-off times by phone, with Wednesday through Saturday preferred. With about 80 minutes each way from Modesto, plan your departure so you arrive well inside that window, and call the day before to confirm.