I let the army of racoons that gets into my trash every night, keep the rif raff off my property.
They're nasty little beasts. I wouldn't tangle with one of them empty handed. Little bastards will come at you, teeth gnashing, grumbling and growling.
I took my son's t-ball bat to one the other day as it rummaged through the recycling bin. Hit is squarely on the back (no Suckmymuscle). Thing turned around, glowered at me, turned back around, picked up a bread crust, and walked off SLOWLY. Like it was daring me to follow it around the corner of the garage, where it probalby had a gang of them waiting.
I knew better. Kept my distance. I seriously think it would have tried to kill me for an apple core if it had the chance.
We had hornets like that in Houston. Things we the size of my thumb. They would build nests right on our apartments overhangs... when we'd come home, they'd come out of their nests and stare at us, like "Do something". We'd open the door and as we started to walk inside, they'd stare at us, and then slowly turn around and crawl back into their nest.
Creepy things.
Also, a friend told me he had huge wolf spider hybrids that lived in his basement, and that his dad never cleaned the basement or really went down there so they owned it.. he said as soon as you stepped off that last stair onto the concrete.. theyd come out from under everything, like 20 of them... and as you stepped into the basement, they'd start advancing slowly, and if you turned and started to walk away they'd run after you.