Glassing can be tough in thick chaparral, however burns of 10s or 100s of thousands of acres are not uncommon and can be great. You can glass for miles in those areas.
Personally I have taken all my deer still hunting but my hunting partners have taken many deer ambushing them from a cliff top...
If you have more time than money go public. Take a look at zones D13, D11 and A zone. Los Padres and the other national forests can be good, especially if you bow hunt, not as crowded. Look at the either sex archery hunts also. Weather can be 100 degrees plus for some of the seasons. Look for...