I started carrying a little NAA black widow revolver when coyote hunting for just that reason. Its come in handy more times than I would have expected.
S&W M63 for me... don't need it often but when you do it beats a second shot from a rifle or shotgun. Several years back I got careless with a coyote and he got a good hold on my pant leg. I was standing on a rocky, narrow, sharply slanted trail in a clear cut with the spined coyote. Between my reaction to the sudden lunge of the coyote and the actual coyote latched onto my pant, I danged near fell down right beside him. I carefully put the muzzle of the AR between his eyes and proceeded to make a real mess. Familiarity breeds carelessness...