--- title: Gun Dog Training From Willows | Royal Gun Dogs url: https://royalgundogs.com/from/willows/ 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/) - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - Willows # Willows owners and the road to Hastings Island Rio Vista is about 2.2 hours and 109 miles from Willows by road. Richard Gebhart trains gun dogs at Hastings Island Hunting Preserve in Rio Vista, and dogs make the trip to him for board-and-train from all over California. ## From Willows to Hastings Island - **Drive to Rio Vista:** about 2.2 hours 109 miles, OpenStreetMap routing, no traffic - **County:** Glenn US Census Bureau - **Population:** 6,190 ACS 5-year 2024 - **Median age:** 38.6 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. Willows is the Glenn County seat, with 6,190 residents and a median age of 38.6 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). It sits 7 miles north of a national wildlife refuge. ## The refuge complex at your door Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge covers 10,819 acres, 7 miles south of Willows. The five-refuge Sacramento NWR Complex totals nearly 70,000 acres, and waterfowl regularly peak at over 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese from late November to December (USFWS). Glenn County also appears fifth in CDFW's 2024 survey of counties named for waterfowl hunting, at 5.49 percent of respondents. ## Planning around 2.2 hours A trip of about 2.2 hours each way is a long day, not an errand. At this distance, plan around drop-off and pick-up; call Richard about both. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up, and ask whether a lesson at the end suits you. If you are weighing the cost of the trip against local options, the [guide to choosing a gun dog trainer](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/choosing-a-gun-dog-trainer/) lists questions worth asking any trainer. ## What stays the same wherever you live Those facts come from his profile on the Hastings Island Hunting Preserve site, linked below. - Richard has trained dogs professionally since 2002. - He has run and qualified at an AKC Master National. - He trains pointers and other upland breeds as well as retrievers. - He works with handlers, one-on-one or in groups. ## Opening weekend and the long drive If you want your dog ready before the October opener, summer is the time to start. CDFW lists Balance of State ducks as October 24, 2026 to January 31, 2027, but confirm your county on the CDFW zone map because zones are set by county. The [waterfowl opener guide](https://royalgundogs.com/guides/ready-for-the-waterfowl-opener/) lists what a dog should know by that morning. Given the drive, finish the program with a handler lesson so you can keep the work going at home. ## Clubs within reach Clear Creek Sports Club in Corning hosts hunt tests and field trials on the 2026 California calendar. The [calendar page](https://royalgundogs.com/hunt-tests/california-calendar/) explains how to confirm dates. ## Questions Willows owners can bring to the call Ask whether your dog's breed suits waterfowl, upland or both. Ask how Richard introduces gunfire and birds, since steadiness at the shot is a skill built in stages, as the [steadiness entry in the glossary](https://royalgundogs.com/glossary/steadiness/) explains. Ask what to expect from progress updates while the dog is away. Richard sets each plan himself, so every answer is specific to your dog. ### Sources (3) - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service : [fws.gov/refuge/sacramento](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sacramento) (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 - [Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) - [Board-and-train](https://royalgundogs.com/programs/board-and-train/) - [From Colusa to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/) - [From Chico to Rio Vista](https://royalgundogs.com/from/chico/) ## Other drive times [Sonora](https://royalgundogs.com/from/sonora/)[Los Banos](https://royalgundogs.com/from/los-banos/)[Merced](https://royalgundogs.com/from/merced/)[Grass Valley](https://royalgundogs.com/from/grass-valley/)[Santa Cruz](https://royalgundogs.com/from/santa-cruz/)[Oroville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/oroville/)[Colusa](https://royalgundogs.com/from/colusa/)[Placerville](https://royalgundogs.com/from/placerville/) ## Questions from Willows owners [All questions](https://royalgundogs.com/faq/) ### How far is Rio Vista from Willows? About 2.2 hours and 109 miles by road, with no traffic. ### How big is the Sacramento refuge complex? USFWS reports nearly 70,000 acres across five refuges and three wildlife management areas. ### Is Willows part of the Sacramento Valley region? Yes. Willows is in Glenn County, about 2.2 hours from Rio Vista, and sits in the Sacramento Valley region on this site. The [region page](https://royalgundogs.com/regions/sacramento-valley/) lists other towns and refuges.