For years I’ve carried an older S&W 38 special loaded with 158g HPs. It’s an old friend that I’m very familiar with that shoots straight and true. I’ve never had to use it. I have always carried it “dirty”, meaning that it has had at least one round fired since it’s last cleaning. I heard somewhere years ago that some critters smell the powder residue and stay away because they know that it is bad stuff to mess with. True or not, I’ve escaped becoming cougar or bear poop. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />