And there's a lot to know. It's not just Hunter's Safety. How far do you lead a teal? How many canvasbacks can you shoot? What sound does a gadwall make? It's all here.
Check out these quick-pic links to the stuff you need to know or scroll down for a brief overview.
Hunter's Safety Before you can do much of anything, you have to take a hunter's safety course. Check out The Hunt Page for links to courses online and more information. Once you pass your course, you can purchase a hunting license.
Identification and Regulations After you purchase your hunting license, it's important to learn what you can and can't shoot before you start blasting away. What are the ducks pictured above? If you can't tell, check out the Identification Page to brush up on your visual skills and learn the regulations.
Refuges Wildlife refuges are public lands set aside for the conservation of waterfowl, usually composed of a non-hunting "closed-zone" with adjacent land open to hunting. There are a whole bunch of public lands open to hunting in California. Make sure you know something about the place you're going before you show up.
Gear There's a fair amount of equipment required to hunt the public refuges. Decoys, waders, guns, shells, mojo duck, stools, covers, jackets ... a checklist might be helpful so you don't forget anything.
Good Luck! To maximize your chances for cupped and committed shots, set your blind up where the birds want to be, stay covered, and let them take another pass before popping off shots.