Hunting in Arkansas a good pair of snake boots will give you more protection, especially in early season. However, I always carry a handgun whenever in the woods. A 10MM, .40 or .45 are all good options. Most everyone carries all the time anywhere, anyway. Keeps bad people on their toes, and helps force them to be polite in rural encounters. South Arkansas has bears with a closed season that aren't nearly as afraid of humans as their brothers in the western part of the State. The area is also full of hogs that can be 400lbs and just as mean or meaner than a bear. Good place to take a .44 with heavy cast bullets. I must say you will be about 100 times more likely to run into a mad rattler or cottonmouth than a bear. Bad people out doing bad things are somewhere in between those two.