--- title: Gun Dog Training From Turlock | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/turlock/ 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/) - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - Turlock # Turlock to Rio Vista: San Joaquin Valley duck dogs, 96 minutes north Rio Vista is about 96 minutes and 76 miles from Turlock 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 Turlock to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 96 minutes 76 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Stanislaus US Census Bureau - **Population:** 72,502 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 34.9 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. Turlock, in Stanislaus County, has 72,502 residents and a median age of 34.9 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It is a farm city in the San Joaquin Valley with wetland ground to the west. ## Up the valley to the Delta The drive is about 96 minutes and 76 miles. A round trip is just over three hours, which fits a morning. OpenStreetMap routing assumes no traffic. Google lists the hours as 8 AM to 2 PM Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, closed Tuesday. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up before you go. ## Refuges across the valley San Luis National Wildlife Refuge covers over 26,800 acres of wetlands, riparian woodland, native grassland and vernal pools in the San Joaquin Valley (USFWS). Los Banos Wildlife Area adds about 6,200 acres with waterfowl and pheasant hunting on limited days (CDFW). Merced County is second on CDFW's list of counties named by waterfowl hunters, at 9.20 percent in the 2024 survey. The survey measures hunting location, not where hunters live. ## Matching a dog to those wetlands Valley wetlands mean water, tules and long sits. A dog that stays calm in a blind is worth far more than one that is only fast. The [calm dog in the duck blind guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/calm-dog-in-the-duck-blind/) describes the skills, and the [Advanced Waterfowl Program](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/advanced-waterfowl/) adds 4 to 12 weeks on top of the lower programs. ## Before the first call Have a few details ready: breed, age, and what the dog has already learned. Richard sets the plan after talking with you, and weekly rates are published on the [board-and-train page](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) so you can price it out before you call. The [booking FAQ](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/how-to-book-training/) walks through the call, and the [hunting puppy guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/when-to-start-a-hunting-puppy/) helps if your dog is young. Valley owners who hunt public wetlands can also read the [refuges data page](https://royalgundogs.com/data/waterfowl-habitat-and-refuges/) for acreage and sources. ## Using board-and-train In [board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/), the dog lives with Richard through the program, who has trained professionally since 2002. He sets the plan by phone, inside each program's published range of weeks. Ask whether [handler lessons](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/lessons/) fit at pick-up, since the owner has to run the dog too. ### Sources (4) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/san-luis](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san-luis) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Los-Banos-WA) (checked October 27, 2026) - California Department of Fish and Wildlife : [nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline](https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=233037&inline) (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 - [San Joaquin Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/san-joaquin-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Modesto to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/modesto/) - [From Los Banos to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/) ## Other drive times [Folsom](https://royalgundogs.com/from/folsom/)[Fremont](https://royalgundogs.com/from/fremont/)[Roseville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/roseville/)[Jackson](https://royalgundogs.com/from/jackson/)[Santa Rosa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-rosa/)[Williams](https://royalgundogs.com/from/williams/)[Auburn](https://royalgundogs.com/from/auburn/)[San Francisco](https://royalgundogs.com/from/san-francisco/) ## Questions from Turlock owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Turlock from Rio Vista? About 96 minutes and 76 miles by road without traffic. ### What wetlands are near Turlock? San Luis National Wildlife Refuge covers over 26,800 acres, and Los Banos Wildlife Area about 6,200 acres. Check each page for current hunting rules. ### Which program fits a duck dog? Puppy Camp for a young dog, the Basic Waterfowl Program for core training, and the Advanced Waterfowl Program on top of that. Richard decides the plan. ### Do dogs come from the Valley? Dogs come to Richard from all over California for board-and-train.