What goes screech at night??

[greyfields]

Surely it's an owl. We have both barn owls and great horned owls here. The sound at night when we're out walking the dogs is amazing.

 

[Darin115]

It could be a owl, bobcat or fox. I was bowhunting years ago and a fox came up. I shook limbs to try to scare him off. He circled the tree many times but could not figure out what I was. He finally backed off and started screaming. I almost fell out of the tree. It was almost dark and this thing is up in the woods making a noise like a screaming baby or something on its way to being dead.

I climbed down early and headed to the truck. I kept hearing foot steps behind me. I would stop and turn around. Nothing. It would scream every 10 yards or so. I almost ran back to the truck. I had to pass my buddy on the way. He was still hunting. That fox followed me all the way back to the truck and then sat up in the woods behind a tree a screamed until my buddy came out of the woods. He asked me what I shot. I said nothing. He asked what that noise was. I told him to guess.

He thought I shot something and drug it back to the truck still alive and screaming. He did not belive it was a fox until I shined my light up in the woods and showed him the fox sitting behind the tree peeping out squeeling at us.

I had a similar experience with a bobcat. They scream just about as bad. A owl will screach for a while before he sets into hooting.

Needless to say all three could put a end to your flock.

 

[Guitartists]

Maybe it's this thing......

Oh wait..... that lives in New Jersey... never mind!

Sorry, I know that was pointless and COMPLETELY useless, but I couldn't resist

tehehe

 

[Buckguy20]

Could it be something as simple as a tree frog or even a toad? The tree frogs here sometimes make a long screeching sound.
Best way to find out is hang out near the pen with a strong light and wait. When you here it turn the light on.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
THAT WAS MY THOUGHT TOO!!

Actually a cougar will scream like that too. And I'm very familiar with your area. Cougars are abundant. I worked in Verdi NV, just over the "hill" from you and had cougars come right up to the building all the time. The Elementary School, at one point, couldn't let the kids go out for recess because they were being stalked. In broad daylight.

 

[sred98]

If it was a scratchy screech, then I would think bobcat. Loud, terrifying scream, mountain lion. Something that sounds like it's being killed is probably a fox. They have the most god-awful bonechilling scream I've heard. I thought my cat was being killed one night, but the voice wasn't quite right. A few days later, I saw my cat harrassing the poor thing. She was screaming because he was pestering her!! I had no idea they did anything besides yip and bark. LOL!

Shelly

 

[rufus]

Keep the kids inside at night until you really find out what it is. If it is a mountain lion, they travel a circuit. Mark on the calendar when you hear the animal. Then note on the calendar when you hear it again. That will give you some idea of when it will reappear in your area and you can keep an extra eye on your stock.

Look for tracks. That is probably the best way to identify the creature.

When I was a kid and I first heard a mountain lion, I thought it was la llorana. I wasn't much relieved to find out it was a mountain lion.

Rufus

 

[McGoo]

Most likely a Barn Owl. They have a few different sounds - and one sounds like something is being killed. Amazing sound. Check it out - go to the 'typical call' it is amazing to hear especially at night.


http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Tyto&species=alba

 

[oceanbird]

We have fisher's out here that make that sound- it's a sound that you don't easily forget. If it is a bobcat I think killing it sounds extreme- I know I'm probably about to make people mad but really. Your living in it's habitat figure out a way to live with it.

 

[Gindee77]

We have heard scary screeching in the night too. In our neck of the woods, it's either young coons or owls. We also have coyotes that make the most unearthly sounds!

Good luck in finding the screecher and I hope you can protect your flock!!