I don't have my CCW (yet), and I'm not any kind of law enforcement (yet), but from my years of shooting and using the weapon between my ears, I've come up with some thoughts on what I would carry. It would have to be a hammerless .38 snubby, hands down. Like I said, it's what I would carry. Something else may fit your intended useage a bit better. Carry what you shoot well.
Reasoning for my choice:
Yes, I love my 5" 1911's almost to the point of obsession, and I love my medium frame .357s even more. I will most likely be buried with my 4" GP100 on my hip. There are many guns out there that I would certainly trust with my life. Having said that, if I had the option of carrying something in a holster on my belt out in the woods as an "insurance policy" against whatever might get pissed at me, the bigger guns with bigger bullets would win hands down. However, we're talking about carrying concealed for the sole purpose of defending ourselves against (most likely) two-legged predators. This dictates something small, light, and.... well..... concealable. If you go by statistics (and a little common sense), things will most likely be fast and be over very quickly. You need speed and simplicity to go with your concealability. It's hard to get more simple than a DAO revolver. It's the original point and click interface. That, and 5-6 rounds is something I'd be plenty comfortable with.
Accuracy isn't going to be too much of a worry, since you're more than likely going to be damn near waltzing with your opponent when your boogerhook pulls the bangswitch anyway. Shorter, concealable barrels win here.
Then it just comes down to ammo. .38Spl, when loaded with good defensive bullets, especially in a +P cartridge, will be sufficient. No, it doesn't have the "one shot stop percentage" of a .45ACP HP or a .357 mag HP, but it's still high, and I'd be pumping every shot I had into the guy anyway. It's a hot 9mm HP being fired out of a revolver, basically. Unless they're in body armor, it will do the job if you do yours. It kicks in a lightweight snubby, but it can be controlled, especially if you put good grips on it. I wouldn't bother with .357 mag in one. You need 4" of barrel to get the magnum performance, and it'll hurt you as much as it hurts him with such a lightweight piece.
There you have it.