“or just run around hunting without much in the way of webs at all.”
Long single strand or few strands? Sounds like Brown Recluse Spider webs.
In Washington State among the 950 or so types identified we have various forms of widows, Hobos, and Yellow Sacs. And I have seen lots of those over the years. In the house we see more “giant house spiders” than anything else. They get trapped in our bathtub frequently and were a favorite prize for our wiener dog, the great spider hunter. My latest bites were most likely from a Hobo because I found some webbing in my boot and they can bite when trapped.
I did know an old lady who was in a multi-level care facility where my wife worked, and I volunteered who was put there by a severe necrotic wound from what was identified as a Brown Recluse. According to our Department of Health we do not have Brown Recluse Spiders here. The one that bit the old lady was from a small group that was found at her home on a place called Anderson Island near Steilacoom, WA. I am not sure how they got there. She was a frequent traveler and one may have laid some eggs on or in something that she brought back with her.
The vast majority of spiders here are harmless and very few are aggressive, but some are just so darned ugly that it is a natural reaction to swat them especially if they are crawling on you for some reason. Outside our house we have hundreds of little black and red jumping spiders running through the grass. I don't think they bite. We also end up with spider webs across the stairs to our porch often, from persistent spiders that seem to come back even after being relocated. Is there anything creepier than pulling spider webs off your face when you are on your way out?
Fortunately, my wife is a very skilled spider swatter; if she sees one crawling on me she springs into action. She is usually able to just swipe them off with a ninja style “hi-yah” without making a mess.