NORTH COAST, Calif. – The family of a Bay Area man who went missing late last month in the Mendocino National Forest is seeking the community's help in the effort to locate him.

Gene Penaflor, 72, was last seen at around 8 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the Spruce Grove area, located north of Lake Pillsbury and Hull Mountain on the Mendocino County side of the forest.

Family members said Penaflor had gone deer hunting in the area, where he's been hunting for the last seven years, when he failed to meet his hunting partner for lunch.

Penaflor disappeared without a trace, and his hunting partner never heard the help signal they had established – three quick successive shots, according to family members.

Family said Penaflor was in good health and had no medical conditions.

A search and rescue effort involving nearly a dozen counties from around the region took place over four days, officials reported.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team led the effort, and was assisted by search and rescue teams and law enforcement from Lake, Solano, Glenn, Tehama, Marin, Contra Costa, Napa, San Mateo, Sonoma and Siskiyou counties, along with the Bay Area Mountain Rescue group.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter and search dogs and handlers with the California Rescue Dog Association also were employed in the effort, which was suspended due to weather concerns on Sunday, Sept. 29, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office reported.

By the time the search ended, there were no leads and no signs of Penaflor, whose son Jeremy described him as an avid hunter who has survival skills and is extremely knowledgeable about the wilderness.

Penaflor, who is Filipino, is described as having black hair and brown eyes, is 5 feet 2 inches tall, and weighs 133 pounds.

When he was last seen, he was wearing a camouflage jacket, jeans and a knit hat carrying a deer rifle, Mendocino County Sheriff's officials reported.

Anyone with information about Gene Penaflor should contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department at 707-463-4411, or his son Jeremy Penaflor at 415-533-0000.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.