What is the best way to take up dove hunting in California?
 

I live in Sacramento County.

Is dove hunting expensive in CA?
It shouldn't be because there are a lot of public places
during dove season as WA and BLM areas open.

Private land, duck blinds and hunt clubs as for pheasants and ducks
is too rich for my beer budget. Paying $25/bird for pheasant is
quite common on club-held land.

Dove hunting seems more beer-budgeted for working-class wing shooters.
I would say the DOVE is the poor man's game bird but
they can be quite delicious when dove breasts are cooked right.

What is the first thing to learn about dove hunting?

Can a Labrador Retriever be used in dove hunting?

I am also interested in social dove shoot events in this state where
hunters and their dogs gather to fellowship.

I don't want to just know about hunting regs, I want to acquire
skills for hunting doves and get to meet some people who are dove
enthusiasts. I have had experience hunting "canned" deer and ground
squirrels in CA but that costs to much money to do on a regular basis.
The buck filled with acorns tasted lousy and was expensive to hunt.
Dove should be much cheaper and fun to hunt and taste better too
than a buck. Bird shooting also allows my best friend, Rover, to get involved.

The DFG game literature is not going to teach new dove hunters how to train their dogs,
or how to swing a shotgun or how to place decoys.

The last time I took and past a hunter safety class and had a hunting license in CA was in 1996.

I fancy the Lab and that would probably be my dove dog.

You will need to take and pass a hunter safety class (schedule at DFG's website--see link below )and then buy a hunting license. If you browse through DFG's website, you'll find a lot of useful information.

https://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/

Here's a link with dove and other season dates for other upland and big game in CA. You can find the same information on DFG's website but this has it all on one webpage.
https://www.wonews.com/t-Hunting_Calendar_022213.aspx

Are there any dove hunting clubs around Sacramento?

I don't know of a hunting club specifically for doves. Here's a link with some wildlife areas you can try.

http://www.arwhead.com/calhunt/hotsp...DOVE%20HUNTING