If you're going to live with critters, you're going to have to learn how to understand the social customs of the critters in your area. Your best advice likely will come from "official" sources in the local area - forestry service, wildlife management, parks and recreation people perhaps. Local law enforcement folk may have particular, and sometimes peculiar, recommendations about what you may and may not do.

Think of your invasion of the critters' territory as a little like walking into a "biker bar" wearing a three piece suit. (And you parked your Vespa outside.) Caution – and an acute awareness of your immediate surroundings – is advised.

With respect to the advice that a .357 is the minimum useful - it isn't at all useful unless you have practiced using it. I have seen experienced marksmen, accustomed to shooting dozens to hundreds of rounds of .45 and .38 pistol ammo per day, so completely disoriented by the "shock" from a first-time firing of a .357 that they dropped their gun and wandered off the firing line unaware of where they were for several moments. A .44 Mag is substantially "more abrupt" than even a .357.

For practice, hearing protection is mandatory for any shooting. In a "critter encounter" you probably will not have such protection, and especially with a .357 or .44 Magnum, you will hear nothing except the ringing in your ears for at least a couple of minutes - or more. (And you will likely have at least some permanent hearing damage.) Note that since you're presumedly closer to the gun than the critter is, his hearing will be much less affected. Advantage: critter.

Even if you're experienced and sufficiently "collected" to get off a useful shot, it's obviously a last-resort sort of thing. It ain't easy like in the movies.

John