It VIOLATED my space...Now it must go!!!!UPDATE!!HELP!!OMG????

[chickiepie]

When you are leaving a trap out, prepare yourself for the fact that you might get something you don't want...like a skunk. It happened to me when trying to trap a groundhog. Put the trap right outside the groundhog's burrow under our shed and voila! A skunk. Those are not so easy to deal with. I hope that you figure out what was out there. That sounds very unnerving.

 

[ChooksChick]

Take a look at this- we had a terrifying noise of a woman being dragged by her hair, and it was a fox, we discovered.

 

[Shelley Joleen]

Someone had peacocks down the river from us in our old home. They sounded like a woman screaming "help me" at night and it was very creepy because the sound carried down the river and echoed creepily. We almost called the cops the first time we heard it, but then remembered the peacocks... they actually flew into my yard one time even though they lived almost a mile away.

The noise you are describing sounds more like a predator cat such as a bob cat, mountain lion, panther, etc... Put up a security light with motion detection near your coop. That should be enough to scare it away or maybe set a radio in the coop and leave it on all night? We have a security light and a web cam with motion detection set up at our coop (you could also use a game camera) because we are just too curious and want to see what is coming after our chicks (and this way we have video proof if our neighbor's dogs break into our coop or even hang out around the pen too much.

I can't really tell from the picture of the footprint, but racoon footprints look just like tiny hands. We had muddy footprints all over our white truck last time we went camping and I should have got a good picture of them so I could show you lol.

Good luck! I hope your coop is secure to keep your babies safe! If I had a large cat wondering around my property I wouldn't leave the house after dark either! So scary. My yard would also be completely lit up! You can also get a motion detection sprinkler (we use those to keep the chickens away from my watermelon patch and blueberries.)

 

[Shelley Joleen]

Quote:

My daughter is fascinated with the chupacabra!! She thinks any noise outside is the chupacabra and talks about them all the time since she was 3 and we took her to the local zoo for halloween when they had "night of the cupacabra" We all think it is adorable and funny hearing her say chupacabra!!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Fisher's or Fishercats, I believe are in the weasel family. I know they are found in wooded areas and that they hunt porcupine. They are nasty and don't tangle with them.

I wouldn't think peacock because their call is like a call of 'HELP ME'. Besides, aren't they birds that roost at night?

As to the question of the opossum screaming, no, they don't make that loud of a noise. They are basically too lazy to do much unless threatened and then usually play dead

Raccoons make a loud screeching sound sometimes too. However, I think your neighbors know best and if they say it is a big cat like a Panther/Cougar, then that is probably it. The footprints are probably the opossum, coon have longer skinnier toes and pads.

Good luck. I like to think I am a pretty brave soul, but I would be scared out of my britches if I heard sounds like you described outside my house. Then I would be even more scared if I knew there were Panthers around

GOOD LUCK!

 

[NewOldMotherHen]

You may have two different predators. Your horror story reminds me of an experience my mom had when she was alone one night in the old family farmhouse in the mountains of West Virginia. She had grown up there and knew how to use a gun. She was no coward but she said she was NEVER so scared. She described exactly what you described..... blood-curdling screams. She was later told that it was more than likely a bobcat. Foxes bark. Possums will snarl at you if you corner them but I don't think they make any other noises. Good luck!

Before relocating a wild animal better check the laws of your state. The State of Virginia has a law against relocating any wild animal unless you are licensed.

 

[definetlydeb]

colebarnhart : Ummm

I don't believe in them...so....but Thanks anyhoo!!!

chickiepie : I did think of that when I went to bed after part of the ruckus, and the skunk thing did cross my mind, I even thought, I can't do this trapping thing, and thought electric fence mite just be the answer. The sound was horrific and I at that point thought that...I had something in trap. But clearly thought...that was the sounds...and def said...to myself...of course...I so am not cut out for this!!! But, now I sit here and think....what if a skunk had been in there, just some feet away from my coop...then what would I have done...OH MY.....

ChooksChick : Thanks for that....I did listen to it....very carefully...and at one point...maybe just maybe...but it was much, much more intense and longer screams and a different tone, but for sure....not ruling fox out..cuz there was one part "VIXEN" that kinda was close....Appreciate that, will show the BF when he gets home!!!

Shelley Joleen
Someone had peacocks down the river from us in our old home. They sounded like a woman screaming "help me" at night and it was very creepy because the sound carried down the river and echoed creepily. We almost called the cops the first time we heard it, but then remembered the peacocks... they actually flew into my yard one time even though they lived almost a mile away.

The noise you are describing sounds more like a predator cat such as a bob cat, mountain lion, panther, etc... Put up a security light with motion detection near your coop. That should be enough to scare it away or maybe set a radio in the coop and leave it on all night? We have a security light and a web cam with motion detection set up at our coop (you could also use a game camera) because we are just too curious and want to see what is coming after our chicks (and this way we have video proof if our neighbor's dogs break into our coop or even hang out around the pen too much.

I can't really tell from the picture of the footprint, but racoon footprints look just like tiny hands. We had muddy footprints all over our white truck last time we went camping and I should have got a good picture of them so I could show you lol.

Good luck! I hope your coop is secure to keep your babies safe! If I had a large cat wondering around my property I wouldn't leave the house after dark either! So scary. My yard would also be completely lit up! You can also get a motion detection sprinkler (we use those to keep the chickens away from my watermelon patch and blueberries.)

Shelley Joleen : Thanks....I do have a radio on in the coop...I don't have a motion light, but may have as of today... I trully think whatever visited us the night before last, was a coon...and so do some others that have been by, but I too am hoping that our coop is Fort Knox'd enough, def got some things popping up around here. My BF's mom told me...now you are asking for trouble you know...you will have every thing running around here at night trying to get your chickens....she is an avid hunter (she claims panther)....and I just kinda giggled and said...oh they are so worth it. But.....all this....in a matter of 24 hours....Oh my....spring is trully bringing out the wildlife, and yeppers maybe I am drawing thier attention, but gonna do whateve I can to protect them peeps!!! Even if I am a big ole' scaredy pants!!!! I can't wait to see what darkness has in store for me tonite...NOT!!!
Thanks everyone for your inputs, thoughts here...I trully appreciate everyone of you...even though I don't believe in Big Foot!! Sorry....maybe tomorrow I will look at that differently to. Have a wonderful day all, I am going to go and enjoy the daylight hours!!!!​

 

[Greenleggedhatch]

Sounds like a screech owl to me

 

[Bev in Nevada]

I found this
http://fishercatscreech.com/fisher-cat-audio-animal-sounds-and-noises/

 

[Bev in Nevada]

Quote:
WOW, that "Vixon" scream curled my toes