--- title: Gun Dog Training From Oroville | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/oroville/ 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/) - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - Oroville # Oroville to Rio Vista: planning board-and-train from the Feather River Rio Vista is about 2.4 hours and 111 miles from Oroville by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve, and dogs come to him from all over California for board-and-train. ## From Oroville to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 2.4 hours 111 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Butte US Census Bureau - **Population:** 19,752 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 35.8 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. Oroville, in Butte County, has 19,752 residents and a median age of 35.8 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits on the Feather River below the dam, in a county that CDFW's hunter survey lists among the five most-named waterfowl counties. ## A long day each way At about 2.4 hours, the drive to Rio Vista is a long day each way, and a round trip adds up to nearly five hours. For that reason, a plan that keeps the dog with Richard works better than repeated trips. Call him about drop-off and pick-up and how it should fit your week. Distance and time come from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday, so call first and set a time before you start the drive. ## Your local public ground Oroville Wildlife Area covers about 11,800 acres along the Feather River. CDFW lists dove, quail and pheasant hunting on its uplands and scull-boat and decoy waterfowl hunting on the Thermalito Afterbay. Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, roughly 9,600 acres including the Butte Sink, and Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, about 9,200 acres near Gridley, add to the list. Gray Lodge allows dogs on a 10-foot leash when you are not actively hunting. Always check each page for current rules and permit requirements. ## Dogs for both kinds of bird With dove and pheasant on one side and Afterbay ducks on the other, an Oroville hunter can use a dog that works both. Richard is an avid upland and waterfowl hunter, and his training began with retrievers and widened to pointers and other upland breeds in 2013. See the [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) for a retriever and the [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) for a pointer to see how each starts. ## What stays with the dog When the dog goes home, the training should hold in your truck, your blind and your yard. Richard trains handlers as well, in [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/), so owners learn the commands and timing. A longer drive makes it smart to ask about a lesson at pick-up, so the trip does two jobs at once. ## Where to find local events Tamarin Spaniel Field Trial Club is listed at Gray Lodge on the 2026 California calendar. The [California hunt test calendar page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) links to the current entries, and AKC Event Search has the official dates. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Oroville-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Oroville-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Gray-Lodge-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Gray-Lodge-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Upper-Butte-Basin-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Upper-Butte-Basin-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - Hastings Island Hunting Preserve : [hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/](https://hihp.com/royal-gun-dogs-dog-training/) (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 - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Chico to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/chico/) - [From Yuba City to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/yuba-city/) ## Other drive times [Santa Cruz](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-cruz/)[Grass Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/from/grass-valley/)[Willows](https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/)[Sonora](https://royalgundogs.com/from/sonora/)[Los Banos](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/)[Merced](https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/)[Colusa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/)[Chico](https://royalgundogs.com/from/chico/) ## Questions from Oroville owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Oroville? About 2.4 hours and 111 miles by road, with no traffic assumed. ### Which public hunting areas are near Oroville? Oroville Wildlife Area is the closest, with Upper Butte Basin and Gray Lodge in the same part of the Sacramento Valley. CDFW's pages list the rules. ### How should I plan the drive with a dog? At this distance, plan it as a long day each way and call Richard about drop-off and pick-up before you go. ### Does Richard train pointers as well as retrievers? Yes. He added pointers and other upland breeds in 2013 under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels.