If you are expecting to run into some nasty critters in the woods, that would be a very good choice. Shotguns are so versatile. You can change their effectiveness and lethal abilities simply by changing to different ammunition. They also make an excellent (one of the best actually) home defense weapons there is, in my opinion.
When my sister lived in Alaska it was very common to take shotguns when hiking, fishing, etc. Simply because of the bear population where they lived. I am not sure what you might encounter where you live, but I have heard and saw some TV programs about the growing hog concerns. So in this case a shotgun would be an excellent weapon if you had to face them.