I grew up in the rural West. Never lived in a town with a population over 3,000 until I went away to college. Also, grew up around a lot of coyotes. We had a coyote trapline every winter. Coyotes are harmless, FWIW, unless you happen to be a Pomeranian, then you're a snack. Don't need a gun to protect yourself from a coyote, just a good stick or a rock. As for living in a remote area with limited police response, I always counsel people to get a good dog (not a Pomeranian) -- they can hear/smell someone coming from a quarter-mile away, and any ill-intentioned person with a modicum of sense, won't want to bother with the hassel of a protective pooch.