Animal screams coming from the woods

[Kessel23]

A week or so ago I heard loud screams coming from the woods at the back of my property. I have a pond down there, behind the pond is a very large hill, on the hill there is a lot of massive oak trees, up in the trees there is a massive colony of blue herons, the screams came late at night from this back hill by the blue heron colony and I assumed it was from them because I hear them scream at dusk and it sounded somewhat similar. The scream was very loud and I called back a few times, as soon as I called out the animal would scream again, almost like it was responding to me. I had actually left my phone down at the pond that day and forgot about it till that night so I had to go grab it while this animal was screaming. The screaming animal was on the other side of the pond up on the hill, it sounded like it was coming from right under the heron nests and I thought maybe a baby had fallen or something. I did not go over there to find out what it was though because I was not sure if it actually was a blue heron, for all I know it could have been some crazy human. Well anyways, I just heard the screams again tonight, this time it was way more scary because it came from the opposite side of the woods, hundreds of feet away from the blue heron colony, it is definitely not a blue heron. Also, it sounded like two animals screaming back and forth this time. I have 12 German shepherds and they are going crazy barking at the screams, the screams are so loud that I can hear them clearly over my 12 dogs barking. I have not heard anything like this before, I live in Southern Wisconsin and the biggest predators we have around here are coyotes, I think. I am worried that this animal is gonna come mess with my dogs or kill my birds, these screams were much closer to the house than the last screams and I would prefer the animal stays out in the woods so I don't have to kill it. Does anyone have any guesses to what it could be? If you do I will look up a video of that animal to see if the screams match. I have already looked up raccoons, it is not that. I also know it is not a coyote because I am pretty familiar with their sounds.

 

[BlackHackle]

Do you guys get Cougars in Wisconsin? I hear that sound around my place and it usually ends up being a cougar

 

[Doc7]

You have cougar and bobcat. Cougars in heat give an eerily woman-in-distress like scream. The YouTube videos are downright chilling. Listen to one of those and compare.

 

[BlackHackle]

You have cougar and bobcat. Cougars in heat give an eerily woman-in-distress like scream. The YouTube videos are downright chilling. Listen to one of those and compare.

Yup, they sure are bone chilling to hear in the night...especially when they're close

 

[Pugsabi]

Nope nope nope nope... I've seen too many movies that start like this! Resist the urge to check it out by yourself...

 

[HopefulAcres]

Mountain lion screams are very unnerving. We have seen one in the field next to us many years ago but every so often when the drought is at its worst we will hear one far off in the BLM cattle fields.
I would avoid walking in that area and if it gets worse or closer to your place call fish and game even if you have to shoot it.

 

[Tesumph]

Foxes are known for their blood chilling scream in mating season. Sounds like a witch from nightmare land when you’re walking through the woods at midnight. They will sometimes call out to each other or answer you if you “scream” back.

Cougars and bobcats also have pretty terrifying screams that can vary in intensity.

 

[BlackHackle]

Sounds like a witch from nightmare land when you’re walking through the woods at midnight.

...

 

[4 ever Orpington]

You have cougar and bobcat. Cougars in heat give an eerily woman-in-distress like scream. The YouTube videos are downright chilling. Listen to one of those and compare.

I encountered that while hunting in the mountains of northern Georgia. Will make every hair on your body stand on end. Spooky stuff!

 

[4 ever Orpington]

A week or so ago I heard loud screams coming from the woods at the back of my property. I have a pond down there, behind the pond is a very large hill, on the hill there is a lot of massive oak trees, up in the trees there is a massive colony of blue herons, the screams came late at night from this back hill by the blue heron colony and I assumed it was from them because I hear them scream at dusk and it sounded somewhat similar. The scream was very loud and I called back a few times, as soon as I called out the animal would scream again, almost like it was responding to me. I had actually left my phone down at the pond that day and forgot about it till that night so I had to go grab it while this animal was screaming. The screaming animal was on the other side of the pond up on the hill, it sounded like it was coming from right under the heron nests and I thought maybe a baby had fallen or something. I did not go over there to find out what it was though because I was not sure if it actually was a blue heron, for all I know it could have been some crazy human. Well anyways, I just heard the screams again tonight, this time it was way more scary because it came from the opposite side of the woods, hundreds of feet away from the blue heron colony, it is definitely not a blue heron. Also, it sounded like two animals screaming back and forth this time. I have 12 German shepherds and they are going crazy barking at the screams, the screams are so loud that I can hear them clearly over my 12 dogs barking. I have not heard anything like this before, I live in Southern Wisconsin and the biggest predators we have around here are coyotes, I think. I am worried that this animal is gonna come mess with my dogs or kill my birds, these screams were much closer to the house than the last screams and I would prefer the animal stays out in the woods so I don't have to kill it. Does anyone have any guesses to what it could be? If you do I will look up a video of that animal to see if the screams match. I have already looked up raccoons, it is not that. I also know it is not a coyote because I am pretty familiar with their sounds.

Sounds like a cougar.