You betcha they can! I remember one night back in the mid 50s when I was out with Dad and our black & tan and our bluetick. We knocked a big coon out of a tree and old Blue made a mistake and went up and nuzzled it in the side with his nose thinking it was dead. The coon had enough life left in it that it whirled around and grabbed old Blue right by the nose. He started bawling and when he lifted his head up and the coon hung on I can't believe it didn't tear his nose off. The coon let loose and Blue rolled that coon over like a good dog will usually do and grabbed him right in the chest and finished him off.