Congrats cback. Food for thought, recently I thumped a few gophers for the first time in quite a few years. I took a 22lr revolver and had a blast. Steve, consider something that you're likely to have with you consistently, the next time they may try to corner you.
Thanks Craig, sounds like fun. However highly illegal here to use a hand gun to shoot anything other than paper targets, at a approved range.
No self defense allowed, no hunting allowed. No concealed or open carry allowed.
Gun must be stored, empty, with a trigger lock, in a locked container or locked cabinet or safe and with ammunition stored, locked, in an entirely separate part of the house, so that putting the gun together with the ammo is an inconvenient and slow process. Them's the rules.