Dove
The September opener. Pass shooting, a spinning-wing, and a vest that can take the heat. Dove is the hunt that gets the truck out of the garage.
Where they work
Sunflowers, harvested grain, water, and the power lines between them. Scout the flight line the evening before. Showing up at legal light with no plan is how you burn a box of shells.
What has to be in the truck
License, HIP, non-lead shot, and a vest with a game bag you can clean. A cheap spinning-wing on a stake pulls birds that would have stayed wide.
Cool the birds in the field. A hot tailgate is how dove gets a bad reputation in the kitchen.
On the plate
Bacon-wrapped poppers are the house recipe for a reason. Pink center, rendered bacon, and you will have people asking for the birds next year.
Dates and rules on NorCalHunt are the desk's briefing notes. Confirm every season, tag, and refuge rule with CDFW before you leave the driveway.