I have a couple handguns and a shotgun. I have them just because I can. I was trained on weapons of all types back when I was in the military, fired the M-16 in military competitions, etc. So I'm pretty knowledgeable about guns and comfortable around them.
I've never hunted; I just go target shooting: paper targets and clay pigeons. I'm not one of the "cold dead fingers" crowd; I would turn in my guns if they were made illegal. But as long as I'm allowed to have guns, then I will. I'm used to having them around, I don't think of it as a weird thing to have guns around (in the military they were everywhere, of course), and I like the option of going out target shooting if the mood takes me.
The state where I live (Vermont) has some of the most permissive gun laws in the country. Anyone can carry a loaded gun either openly or concealed on their person, including people from out of state. No need to get a permit or check in with the cops; you just strap on a gun and go. Vermont is mostly wild country (mountains) or rural/agricultural land, and hunting keeps the wildlife from overbreeding and getting out of control. Without hunters, the deer would overbreed and deforest the mountains, black bears would be scavenging through garbage cans in towns, red foxes would be raiding poultry on the farms, etc. So guns are everywhere, and everything closes up during hunting season while the residents of all the small towns head into the hills to hunt. (Those who just hunt for the sport traditionally give the meat to food banks and homeless shelters.)
One other thing: I don't keep a gun loaded in the house or carry one on me. I'm a big ex-Marine, and most bad guys would automatically pass me over and look for an easier target. So I feel pretty safe even without a gun. But if I were a woman, I definitely would want a loaded gun close to hand. I knew a female cop in Washington, D.C. who kept a handgun on her at all times, even at times and in settings where she wasn't allowed to carry one. Guns are called "equalizers," and with her gun she was at least the equal of any male criminal she might meet. Without a gun, she would be at the mercy of even unarmed criminals because of her smaller size. She refused to be less than equal, so she always had her "equalizer" with her. And a couple times over the years she did halt crimes in progress and arrest criminals with her handgun while she was off-duty in civilian clothes.