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In terms of total acreage, yes, the state of California is mostly unincorporated, and it is legal to carry in those areas unless specifically prohibited. However, the vast majority of the population lives in incorporated areas, the very places one would need protection from wild animals of the two-legged variety, and there's the rub. You can carry in the woods, but not in town, at least not without a CCW, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded. Thus, except for licensed individuals, California cities are gigantic "Gun Free" zones (at least in theory if not in practice.)
I don't know if anyone has counted which counties are "shall issue" or "virtual shall issue," but as far as I know, most of the central valley and northern California from Sacramento north is shall issue--i.e., where self-defense =good cause. The whole Bay Area and the whole LA area is a CCW waste land (except for those visitors who bring their CCWs and handguns with them--at least the permits are valid state-wide). SF is a no issue zone, bans the sale of hollow points, and requires all firearms to be kept unloaded and under lock and key if not in one's immediate possession. (There is a thread here Jackson v. SF that talks about these latter requirements, that were upheld at the district court level despite Heller.) All of the counties around it are slightly more liberal with issuance, but not so's you'd notice. And needless to say, these heavily populated and largely democratic areas dominate the state legislature and the anti-gun laws that are passed there (not quite a 2/3 supermajority.) Which is why Peruta will be fought to the very end.
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