[Buffalobob]

What I learned the easy way one night last hunting season in Utah was even with a bright flash light and a loaded pistol and knowing some large animals is present you may not get a shot fired before the animal gets to you.

Of course I am so self trained to identify the target before shooting, that I lost all of the response time trying to figure out what it was that was attacking me there in the dark. That is good and bad in that you don't wind up shooting somebody or something you wish you hadn't shot but the downside is the the first blood on the ground is going to be yours. If a person can't tolerate some of his own blood on the ground then he should not be a member of this forum. Also goes to my philosophy of not having a loaded gun in my home (out camping by myself is different issue)

Turned out my night time attackers were a couple of stray and hungry cattle dogs that had been cast aside by some worthless rancher in Utah who was grazing cows on public land. I fed them and they hung out at camp for a while.