Thanks, the reason I had to ask was I talked to a Dept. of Fish and Game employee and even he wasn't sure about this issue. He suggested that it would be a safe thing to do (getting a license) since Game Wardens in the field have to use their own discretion and he couldn't say for sure how they might interpret the regulation.
The official California Hunting Regulations pamphlet says under License Provisions:
"A California hunting license is required for taking any bird or mammal..."
That is pretty clear but might have been clearer with the addition of the words: "...both game and non-game species."
I thank you for your interpretation.