--- title: Gun Dog Training From Santa Cruz | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-cruz/ 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/) - [Central Coast](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) - Santa Cruz # Santa Cruz to Rio Vista: over the hill for a quail and pheasant dog Rio Vista is about 2.4 hours and 106 miles from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 2.4 hours 106 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Santa Cruz US Census Bureau - **Population:** 61,607 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 31.1 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. Santa Cruz, population about 62,000 with a median age of 31.1 (Census Bureau), sits on Monterey Bay. Wetland hunting is a drive away, so for many gun-dog owners the season to watch is quail, and CDFW's calendar for it is below. ## Counting the hours The drive covers about 106 miles and takes about 2.4 hours with no traffic, based on OpenStreetMap routing. Bay Area and Delta traffic is rarely light, so give yourself more. Call it a long day each way. The [Central Coast region page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) compares Santa Cruz with the other coastal cities. ## The quail seasons CDFW lists CDFW's 2026-27 upland page gives three quail windows: Zone Q2, all quail, September 26 to January 31; Zones Q1 and Q3, all quail, October 17 to January 31 (fetched October 27, 2026). Mountain quail alone is open September 12 to October 16 in Zone Q1. The page does not list counties, so check CDFW's quail zone map for Santa Cruz County before you plan. Our [2026-27 seasons page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/california-seasons-2026-27/) keeps the full table, including pheasant (November 14 to December 27) and chukar (October 17 to January 31). ## What a quail dog is trained to do Quail hunting asks for a dog that works close, points or flushes on scent and stays under control when a covey erupts. Brittanys, English setters and German shorthaired pointers are common choices; the [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) describes the work. Richard expanded into pointers and other upland breeds in 2013, under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels, and he is an avid upland hunter himself. Ask him how a coastal quail hunter's goals translate to a training plan. ## Clubs within reach The Monterey Bay English Setter Club is listed on the 2026 California calendar with an event at Spenceville Wildlife Area near Marysville. Setter owners can find the club through that listing. If you handle a setter, read [English Setters](https://royalgundogs.com/breeds/english-setter/). Then call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the coast. ## Why board-and-train suits a coastal commute Over two hours each way is enough to make weekly lessons impractical. Leaving the dog with Richard means the daily work happens where the birds and water are, and you are not driving the hill every few days. You arrive at the end for a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) and learn how the dog responds to you. Ask Richard how he handles dogs that are new to cover and gunfire. ### Sources (4) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Upland-Game-Birds) (checked October 27, 2026) - Bird Dog & Retriever News : [bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/](https://www.bdarn.com/ca/trialtests/) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Census Bureau : [data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0669112](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0669112) (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 - [Central Coast](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) - [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) - [From San Jose to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-jose/) ## Other drive times [Oroville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/oroville/)[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/)[Placerville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/) ## Questions from Santa Cruz owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Santa Cruz? About 2.4 hours and 106 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Can I go and come back in an afternoon? Plan it as a long day each way, not as an errand. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the Central Coast. ### What quail season applies to Santa Cruz County? CDFW lists three zones, and this page does not assign one. Check the CDFW quail zone map for your county. ### Is a young dog too early to start? Ask Richard. The [what age to start](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/what-age-to-start/) answer covers the general picture.