My family are bird hunters (quail), so I grew up shooting shotguns. My first shotgun was a 12 gauge single barrel, when I was 7. Because that's all I ever used, I just was used to the kick they have. But, to be fair, my favorite hunting gun is my Browning Sweet Sixteen.
For me, it's just hard to beat the versatility that shotgun gives you. It is easy to kill with as long as you understand how the patterns you're throwing out work. And it's easy to cripple someone, if for some reason you shot at someone but didn't want to kill them. I always say, every house should have a shotgun and a 30-30 rifle. Those are the two most versatile weapons man ever saw fit to make.