Hunting-dog owners in the North State

The North State has some of California's best-known waterfowl water, from the Klamath Basin to Honey Lake. This page lays out the honest distance to the training ground, the hunting at home and how to plan a stay of weeks away from your dog.

How far, town by town

Red Bluff is about 3.0 hours (155 miles) from Rio Vista and Redding is about 3.5 hours (183 miles). Those are long drives, not quick ones, and a drop-off or pick-up from either town takes most of a day each way.

Beyond that the trip is an overnight: Susanville is about 5.2 hours (225 miles), Eureka about 5.9 hours (284 miles), Tulelake about 6.5 hours (330 miles) and Alturas about 6.8 hours (326 miles). Figures are OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic, measured to Rio Vista, and mountain weather in winter can add time.

Hunting grounds in the North State

Honey Lake Wildlife Area is about 7,600 acres, roughly 20 miles east of Susanville, and lists waterfowl, pheasant, quail and dove hunting (CDFW). Modoc National Wildlife Refuge is about 7,000 acres in the northeast corner of the state and runs a 2026-27 waterfowl season on foot or with a non-motorized cart (USFWS).

The Klamath Basin refuge complex, headquartered at Tulelake, says its wetlands serve 80 percent of the migratory waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway, and hunting there requires an annual recreation pass (USFWS). On the coast, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge ran a controlled-permit waterfowl hunt at its Salmon Creek Unit on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the 2025-26 program; check the refuge page for 2026-27.

Clubs in the north valley

The California 2026 trial and hunt test calendar lists the Lassen Retriever Club's field trial at the Lassen Investment Property in Anderson, just south of Redding, and hunt tests and field trials at Clear Creek Sports Club in Corning, south of Red Bluff. Dates change each year, so confirm any date on AKC Event Search and see our California hunt test calendar page.

Planning a stay from up north

Dogs come to Richard from all over California, and owners in the North State are part of that picture. The safest way to plan is to call Richard about drop-off and pick-up from your town before you set a date. Ask Richard about pairing the pick-up with a handler lesson so the dog and handler leave working as a team.

If you also hunt close to home, ask Richard how to line up your dog's training with your own season. The 2026-27 seasons page shows CDFW's dates; the Northeastern zone opens earlier than most of the state, so confirm your county on the zone map.