--- title: Gun Dog Training From Tulelake | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/tulelake/ 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/) - Tulelake # Tulelake to Rio Vista: planning a 6.5-hour trip Rio Vista is about 6.5 hours and 330 miles from Tulelake by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve there, so a Tulelake owner should treat drop-off as a full day of driving each way, with an overnight on the road. ## From Tulelake to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 6.5 hours 330 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Siskiyou US Census Bureau - **Population:** 925 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 39.3 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. Tulelake, in Siskiyou County, is home to 925 people with a median age of 39.3 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). Its Klamath Basin refuges are among the most important waterfowl habitat on the Pacific Flyway. ## Klamath Basin hunters The Klamath Basin refuge complex, headquartered at Tulelake, says its wetlands serve 80 percent of the migratory waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway, and it requires an annual recreation pass to hunt (USFWS). Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, about 7,000 acres in Modoc County, is also nearby. Cold, open country and big flights make for a demanding hunt, and the dogs that handle it are steady and well trained. ## The honest drive Because of the distance, most of the planning is about timing. Drop the dog off once, collect it once and use the lesson to learn the commands. - About 6.5 hours and 330 miles each way. - Measured by OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, snow or weather. - Plan an overnight on the road, or a very long single day each way. - Ask Richard about drop-off and pick-up from the North State. ## Why distance can still work Richard takes dogs for [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) from all over California. Dogs come to Richard from all over California, Tulelake included. The dog stays and trains; you come back for [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/). ## Birds, cold and a steady dog Dogs in the Klamath Basin work in cold water, which is demanding for any retriever. Ask Richard how he conditions a dog for that, and read the [e-collar conditioning guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/e-collar-conditioning/) and the [marks and blind retrieves guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/marks-and-blind-retrieves/) to understand what a trained retriever does. California regulations govern training with birds and e-collars, and nothing here is legal advice; check 14 CCR 677 and CDFW for current rules. ## Before you set out Call Richard from home, not from the road. Ask which weekdays he is working (Wednesday to Saturday are his preferred drop-off days) and whether the drop-off can be scheduled when you can make the whole drive in good weather. Hours on Google are Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, 8 AM to 2 PM, and Tuesday is closed. ## What to read before you call Three pages answer most first questions: the [board-and-train program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/), the [handler lessons page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) and the [how to book FAQ](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/how-to-book-training/). Then call Richard with your dog's age, breed and what you hunt, and describe the trip honestly, so the two of you can find a time that works. ### Sources (2) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/tule-lake](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/tule-lake) (checked October 27, 2026) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/modoc](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/modoc) (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/) - [Private and group lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) ## Other drive times [Lancaster](https://royalgundogs.com/from/lancaster/)[Alturas](https://royalgundogs.com/from/alturas/)[Palmdale](https://royalgundogs.com/from/palmdale/)[Los Angeles](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-angeles/)[Ventura](https://royalgundogs.com/from/ventura/)[Santa Maria](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-maria/)[Eureka](https://royalgundogs.com/from/eureka/)[Santa Barbara](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-barbara/) ## Questions from Tulelake owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Tulelake? About 6.5 hours and 330 miles by road, with no traffic. ### Is it possible to train my dog from Tulelake? Owners bring dogs from all over California. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up. ### Do I need a pass to hunt the Klamath Basin refuges? USFWS says an annual recreation pass is required. Confirm current rules with the refuge.