I know the feeling, Gray. We busted our chops walking all over the southeast corner of Mendocino National forest up north by Corning, but saw only guys out with compounds riding around on ATV's. Saw few tracks, no game trails, no droppings, no evidence there were animals anywhere in the area, and there were acorns all over the place. Sounds to me like you might want to think about relocating to the northern part of the state (at the very least). I know there are deer here, and a lot of hogs. The public land is available, but very rugged hunting. I'm looking forward to moving to central WA in 14 months when i retire, but I still have places to hunt. Up here, you need to pack into the most remote places for good opportunities-just too many people, too little habitat, and too restrictive a season! I'm going to shift to taking vacations during hunting season, packing in and spending a lot more time. Might work! I wouldn't give up the ghost, though, just shift my gears. you're welcome at my fire anytime!