I never had to defend myself from a mouse. I had 458 magnum to pick wild raspberries. A boot works on mice.
A few years back my wife, my 3 small daughters, and I were spending time in and around the Chequamegon National Forest. The blackberry season is quite late there and we had stopped to grab a bunch to bring back to the cabin. As we pulled away I noticed that a 6th from the forest had joined our party and it never said a thing. I had felt kind of silly bringing my .45 on that trip and, even though I didnt have to use it, was glad I had had enough sense to bring it along.
My cats are good outdoor mousers but most of the time they bring the trophies in and drop them, usually alive.
The little vermin get behind desks, under computer cords, in corners where the house was added onto...
I went and bought a Daisy pellet gun. The cats stand back like safari gun-bearers. I'm like a kid again.
Just in case you had a "Blueberries for Sal" moment?