Yuba City and Gray Lodge: training before the season

Yuba City, in Sutter County, has 69,471 residents and a median age of 36.0 (Census ACS 5-year 2024). Waterfowl hunters here live minutes from one of the state's best-known wildlife areas.

Gray Lodge, the neighbor

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area covers about 9,200 acres in Butte and Sutter counties near Gridley and reports more than 1 million waterfowl every year. CDFW runs waterfowl hunting on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays with a Type A pass, and allows dogs on a 10-foot leash when you are not actively hunting.

Two clubs listed on the 2026 California calendar use Gray Lodge: Sagehen's Retriever Club for a field trial and the Tamarin Spaniel Field Trial Club. A Yuba City owner can see what a trial looks like without a long drive.

Almost two hours

A 109-minute drive each way means a full round trip takes most of a day. At that distance, plan drop-off as its own trip. Call Richard about drop-off and pick-up; he sets the plan with you.

Spaniels, retrievers and pointers

With Gray Lodge and Spenceville both in reach, Yuba City hunters run every kind of dog. Richard trained field trial retrievers under Billy Sargenti and, from 2013, pointers and other upland breeds under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels. See the Formal Gun Dog Training for a pointing dog or the Basic Waterfowl Program for a retriever.

Hunt test help

If a Gray Lodge field trial gets you curious, the Basic Waterfowl Program and Advanced Waterfowl Program pages explain how retrievers get ready. Dates for specific events belong on the California hunt test calendar and AKC Event Search.

Spenceville and Gray Lodge, side by side

Spenceville Wildlife Area, roughly 11,900 acres in Nevada and Yuba counties, lists valley quail and dove hunting, dog training areas and field trials (CDFW). Gray Lodge is a waterfowl place and Spenceville is an upland place, and Yuba City sits between them.

That is a good fit for a versatile dog. If you hunt ducks in November and quail in the foothills in December, ask Richard about a program that covers both, and read retriever, pointer or spaniel if you are still choosing a breed.