Something is screaming in the woods.

[WoodlandWoman]

I found this site for fox sounds, in case anyone is interested. http://www.vulpes.org/foxden/sounds/index.htm

It wasn't any of those, although I did recognize some of the calls as background sounds in the night scenes of some episodes of "Midsummer Murders."

It sounded more like the first sounds on the bobcat page. I wish I could hear what a fisher cat sounds like. Although, I think the chickens would be safer if it was a bobcat!

Again, I really appreciate the help.

 

[rufus]

Be careful, if it sounds like a crying baby or woman, it could be a mountain lion. When I first heard one I was a little kid, I thought it was la llorna. I wasn't much relieved when I found out it was just a moutain lion. They hunt in well defined territories. Mark on your calendar the date you heard it. Count off the days until you hear it again. That will give you an idea of its cycle. Take extra precautions on those days.

Rufus

 

[Buckguy20]

It could be something as simple as a rabbit that something has caught. The can make a very lound scream or squeal.

 

[erinm]

I also bet on the Fisher cat. You rarely see them but you will know when you hear them. Bloodcurdling. They look like a cross between a fox a cat , a weasel. And mean!!!. And they love chicken dinner cat dinner, small dog dinner, and whatever else they ca catch! We have alot near me down near the blackstone river. Lots to eat near a river, snakes turtles raccoons. etc etc etc. Erinm
I would rather a fisher cat than a mountain lion! i hope it isn't a mountain lion.!!

 

[Ellie]

We had a screech owl that scared the dickens out of me every time it let loose.

It did do it in the daytime but not often.

Ellie

 

[lurky]

A fisher makes an awful sound as you described but also a porcupine does too.

 

[jenichick]

Whenever the coyotes near us kill a rabbit, it sounds like a woman screaming (dying). The first time I heard it it totatlly freaked me out, then my stepson said it was a rabbit dying. He even bought a squealer that mocks that sound to attract coyotes. I heard it about 4:00 in the afternoon and one morning so it didn't matter what time of day.

I would have been even more disturbed had someone told me it might be a mountain lion or bobcat.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I heard it four times yesterday morning, but nothing since. The chickens are in lock down again today, just in case. They did get time out late yesterday, to run around in the front yard only, so they aren't suffering TOO badly.

We're keeping a close eye on things for the moment. The dogs did a frantic "intruder/varmint alert" in the afternoon, which got me pretty excited in a hurry, too. It turned out to be the big, fat groundhog that's been hanging around lately!

What a waste of adrenalin! I did have a good laugh afterwards.

Thank you for all your ideas and help.