I do a fair amount of hiking, often by myself Often in broken, mountainous terrain. For high activity (lotta climbing), I carry a Sig P250 as it's small, lightweight and easy to conceal. I also carry a Sig 226 for when I do a lot of walking. Both in 9mm.
I'm pretty sure it would only really annoy some larger animals here in the Northeast. Mostly, bears. While bears are not extremely much of a concern, I'm essentially screwed if I do run into one. Wild pigs are another mild concern. Feral dogs and coyotes aren't uncommon either.
Thoughts? Rhino in .357 Mag, or should I go larger? I'm fairly comfortable with the 454 or .45-70. Not an insane fan of .44 Mag, usually by the 50th shot, my hands hurt enough that I'm calling it a day. Like most hiking equipment, requirements contradict each other. Needs to be light, strong, reliable and useful for as many purposes as possible. Also, I carry concealed. Usually on hip, but I'm thinking of going to shoulder holsters. There are times when I carry in a small backpack. The theoretical weapon should be comfortable with getting wet, or in contact with mud. I've debated a Draco, for environmental concerns alone.