If they are dealing you that much damage then your armor and health are too low to survive in that area. with full padded, lvl 4 and very good food, they hit me for under 30 which is nothing. They are great target practice. You should be able to knock them out of the sky with no problem. You can punch them bare-handed in two shots. You can greet them with a melee weapon and never get touched.
All that said, if your food is bad or getting low and you have low armor, they can one-shot you if you don't belong in that biome. Consider them the welcoming committee. You have been found wanting. If you think they're fun, wait till you meet up with a 2* fuling. Fun times.