--- title: Gun Dog Training From Santa Maria | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/ 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 Maria # Santa Maria and Rio Vista: nearly six hours to a trainer for your bird dog Rio Vista is about 5.9 hours and 293 miles from Santa Maria 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 Maria to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 5.9 hours 293 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Santa Barbara US Census Bureau - **Population:** 110,462 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 29.3 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 Maria is the largest city in northern Santa Barbara County, with about 110,000 residents and a median age of 29.3 (Census Bureau). Upland hunters in the area think first of quail, and the season is a long one. ## Six hours, honestly The route covers about 293 miles. OpenStreetMap routing, with no traffic, says about 5.9 hours. This is the overnight tier, and a day's travel in each direction is the right expectation. At that distance, board-and-train is the sensible framing: the dog stays at Hastings Island with Richard, and you plan the travel around drop-off and pick-up. Call him about both; he decides how it works. ## The season line for quail CDFW lists Zone Q2 all quail from September 26 to January 31 and Zones Q1 and Q3 all quail from October 17 to January 31 for 2026-27 (fetched October 27, 2026). The page has no county list, so the quail zone map is where you confirm Santa Barbara County. With a season that long, even a weekend hunter puts in a lot of days. A dog that holds still at the flush and comes back when called saves those days. ## From the Central Coast to the Delta Richard works with pointers and other upland breeds as well as retrievers; he expanded into them in 2013. - Ring Richard, describe the dog and say what birds you hunt. - Ask what he recommends for a dog of that breed and age. - Fix the dates for drop-off and, later, pick-up, and plan the long drive. - Book a [handler lesson](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) so the commands transfer to you. ## Where to see trained dogs work The 2026 California calendar lists the Central Coast Hunting Retriever Club of California with a hunt test at CRTA Goose Lake, Lost Hills, and the Vizsla Club of Southern California with events at Camp H, California City. The [California hunt test calendar](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) page explains how to check current dates. Meanwhile, the [Central Coast region page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/central-coast/) shows how the other coastal cities compare. ## Planning around the hours Google lists Richard's hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. With nearly six hours on the road, arriving unannounced is a poor bet, so call first and agree a time. Richard sets drop-off times by phone. The [how to book training](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/how-to-book-training/) answer explains the first call, and the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) describes the stay. ### 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=160XX00US0669196](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B01003?g=160XX00US0669196) (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 Paso Robles to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/paso-robles/) ## Other drive times [Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/)[Tulelake](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/)[San Luis Obispo](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-luis-obispo/)[Lancaster](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lancaster/)[Susanville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/)[Bakersfield](https://royalgundogs.com/from/bakersfield/)[Alturas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/alturas/)[Palmdale](https://royalgundogs.com/from/palmdale/) ## Questions from Santa Maria owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Santa Maria? About 5.9 hours and 293 miles by road, with no traffic (OpenStreetMap routing). ### Is Santa Maria too far for board-and-train? Dogs come to Richard from all over California. Call him about drop-off and pick-up from the Central Coast. ### What quail dates does CDFW list? Zone Q2 runs September 26 to January 31, and Zones Q1 and Q3 run October 17 to January 31. Confirm your county's zone on CDFW's quail zone map. ### Will Richard train my pointer? He trains pointers and other upland breeds. Tell him your dog's breed and age on the first call.