Read the guide to hunting, butchering and cooking. Vol 1 is big game, vol 2 is small game. Check out the show Meat Eater on netflix. Also watch a guy on youtube named Randy Newburg.
That will cover a lot of the basics.
Steve Rinella of tv show Meat Eater has books on Amazon specific to what you request. One is called"
I'm with /u/JKereshitty on the MeatEater recommendation.
I'd also really recommend taking a look at this great guide for small game and fowl, and this one for big game. There's a TON of stuff that answers a lot of a newbie's questions, as well as a few questions you wouldn't have thought to ask.
> Can you guys just walk me through from start to finish what will happen?
Oh man, that's a whole can of worms. Out five hunters in a room, and you'll get six answers on the best way to turn a dead goose into a main course. I like to fully gut mine, and either skin it or take the time to pluck it for a pretty roast. The guy in this video just pulls the breast meat.
pretty much said perfect. Get a shotgun, and start with rabbit.
I would add shoot skeet and sporting clays to get proficient with the shotgun. Watch Steve Rinella on Netflix and read this book https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Hunting-Butchering-Cooking/dp/0812987055
Sometimes its hard to figure out where you can hunt. ArcGIS online is probably the best for online maps you can play with the base layer. Road maps, topo maps, satalite. I like to locate places with the ArcGIS then look at them with google earth. https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1
The open spaces in CA are a big mix of BLM, national forest, state and national park and military. This is a pretty decent site http://publiclands.org/Get-Books-and-Maps.php?plicstate=CA&site_id=6390 The Yellow is all BLM. MAke sure the Land Status is checked on the bottom right, on the top menu on the left click Activities and sort by Hunting. Once you find an area you think looks good then you can try to find a more detailed map and find were you can actually hunt.
I highly recommend these books by Steven Rinella:
Big game: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/081299406X/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_081299406x
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812987055/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Check out this book it was very useful for me!
I have this one on my kindle.