--- title: Gun Dog Training From Susanville | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/susanville/ 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/) - [North State](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/north-state/) - Susanville # Susanville to Rio Vista: about 5.2 hours from Honey Lake to the Delta Rio Vista is about 5.2 hours and 225 miles from Susanville 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 Susanville to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 5.2 hours 225 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Lassen US Census Bureau - **Population:** 14,177 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 36.8 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. Susanville, the Lassen County seat, has 14,177 residents and a median age of 36.8 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits on the high-desert side of the Sierra, with Honey Lake's waterfowl and pheasant ground just east of town. ## Being straight about the drive Susanville is one of the longer runs on this site. About 5.2 hours each way means most of a day behind the wheel in both directions, so this is a trip you plan around, not one you squeeze in. Estimates come from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, and mountain roads in winter can change the picture. Because of that distance, the useful questions are about the handoff. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the North State, and ask what he suggests for your dog and your calendar. Google lists his hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. ## Honey Lake, close to home Honey Lake Wildlife Area covers about 7,600 acres roughly 20 miles east of Susanville. CDFW lists waterfowl and pheasant hunting there, with a Type A or B pass, and says the waterfowl opener uses reservations. The page also lists quail and dove. That mix means a Susanville dog may be asked to work ducks one weekend and pheasant the next. Richard describes the work as bird dogs for the hunt, upland and waterfowl, so tell him which you hunt most. ## What board-and-train gives a far-away owner In [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/), the dog stays with Richard through the program, which spares you the repeated mountain drive. Richard sets the plan by phone, inside each program's published range of weeks. Ask whether a lesson at pick-up is possible, since [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) teach you the cues the dog has learned. ## Which program to read first For a young retriever, [Puppy Camp](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/puppy-camp/) and [Basic Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/basic-waterfowl/) describe the early steps. For a pointing dog on pheasant, the [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) fits; for a flushing breed, ask Richard. Richard has trained professionally since 2002, so he works with both kinds. ## Questions for the first call - How does Richard suggest I handle drop-off and pick-up from Susanville? - What is the right starting point for my dog's age and breed? - Can I schedule a handler lesson at pick-up? - What should I bring when the dog starts? ### Sources (3) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Honey-Lake-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Honey-Lake-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) - 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) ### 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 - [North State](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/north-state/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Redding to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/redding/) - [Formal Gun Dog Training](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/formal-gun-dog-training/) ## Other drive times [Bakersfield](https://royalgundogs.com/from/bakersfield/)[San Luis Obispo](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-luis-obispo/)[Paso Robles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/paso-robles/)[Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/)[Tulare](https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulare/)[Visalia](https://royalgundogs.com/from/visalia/)[Hanford](https://royalgundogs.com/from/hanford/) ## Questions from Susanville owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Susanville from Rio Vista? About 5.2 hours and 225 miles by road, from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic. ### What public hunting ground is near Susanville? Honey Lake Wildlife Area, about 7,600 acres roughly 20 miles east of town, lists waterfowl and pheasant hunting. CDFW's page has the pass and reservation rules. ### How do I get my dog to Richard from Susanville? Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up. He sets the plan by phone. ### Does Richard train for pheasant as well as ducks? Yes. He is an avid upland and waterfowl hunter and trains retrievers, pointers and other upland breeds.