In a way, I agree, but I also disagree with your statement.
While I have had several "encounters", 2 and 4 legged, I dont see a firearm as an essential tool for defense. For defensive purposes, I agree with you that it is a personal choice and I respect those who do not carry for that reason. After all, I firmly believe, and agree with others who have said the same, that your brain and situational awareness are the BEST defensive tools that someone can have, armed or not.
However, I do see it as an essential tool while in the backcountry because in an emergency it can be used for hunting for food and signaling for help. THats why I like my shotgun rather than a rifle. A rifle, for emergency hunting really is of no use. You cant kill a quail with a highpowered rifle. While you can kill big game wiht it, there is no guarantee that you will even see anything bigger than a squirrel. WIth my shotgun, and varrying rounds for it, I have the option of hunting anything from a squirrel to a moose. Between the amount of water that I carry (a LOT, even more when Im in the desert), my water filter, and my shotgun, I know that if I were stuck somewhere, I would not lack for food or water for quite sometime.
I firmly believe that anyone who goes into the backcountry should have a firearm for that reason, hunting, not defense. The way I see it, being prepared means having the tools necessary to keep yourself and your loved ones alive in an emergency. A gun should be part of that. Doesnt even have to be big. I choose to carry a shotgun for the above stated purposes, but a small .22 caliber rifle or pistol is MORE than adequate for emergency hunting purposes. With my 22 rifle, Ive killed quail, squirrels, and rabbits. I feel confident that I could kill a deer with it, although I dont beleive that a .22 is big enough to make an ethical shot, except under emergency circumstances.
