Last night my wife and I were going to bed and out our window we heard a scream that at first sounded like a woman screaming for help. It jolted us when we first heard it so we opened a window to listen a little better. With an open window we could hear it loud and clear and we were relieved to quickly realize it wasn't a woman, but an animal in distress. It was about 50 to 100 yards from my house. At the time I said to my wife "must be a cat". But the more we listened the more we realized it wasn't a cat. After a few minutes of this it stopped and we went back to bed. A few minutes later we heard it again. It screamed 3 or 4 times and it was followed by coyotes yelping (that will keep you up at night).

 

Talking about it with the wife and kids over diner we all described what we heard last night. My one son thought it may have been a fox screaming, so we listened to a few foxes screaming on you tube. It was close, but not quite right. Then we listed to racoons and ground hogs - not even close. Then I did a search on "animals screaming in the woods" and clicked on a clip that said "Fisher Cat". After listening I'd have to say it was the sound of a Fisher Cat in distress.

 

What is odd about this is Fisher Cats live in, and north of, the Adirondacks. I called my neighbor who is an avid hunter and he told me that he has seen Fisher Cats down by the river that runs by our house.

 

If I hear it again I will record it. Unfortunately I don't think we will hear it again; the coyotes may have won the battle.

Check and see if you can find a recording of a grey fox. I got spooked by one years ago up in Stokes State Forest, by the Floatbrook. Could have sworn it was a person in distress. I knew the ranger in Walpack and stopped by his house, it was only a few hundred yards away, he came out, listened and said thats what it was. A sound that I will never forget.

There are also mountain lions present and the cubs have a distinct sound.

I heard a sound one morning that scared my daughter awake. I went in to her room to listen to it and it gave me the chills. It must of been something out in the woods dying. I think it was a fox that I heard. Check this link and see if this is something like you heard. The morning we heard this it went on for 20 mins. very eerie!!!

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/thefoxden/kitcry.wav

I hear those sort of sounds often. I just assumed it was a fox. I hear them usually around dusk or a little later.

 

I live in NW Morris County, with woods behind my house.

I was going to say , mountain lions can sound like a screaming woman. I was in Cali on my Grandma's property sleeping in a camper first time I heard one. My hair stood on end all night and I slept clinging to a rifle she had given me ( which I did not know how to use) . Her dog that was camping out with me was not bothered by the sound..first clue it was not a person.

 

But yeah , it sounded like a woman screaming in the woods. They told me it was the females in heat.

 

I have never heard of Fisher Cats in NJ ..but hey you never know. There are Coyotes in the Lyndhurst swamps these days.

 

I have heard of people seeing Bobcats again in Upstate NY.

 

Try recording it if you hear it again

I know this might be off based but could it Peacocks? They make a horrible sound.

 

I know this might be off based but could it Peacocks? They make a horrible sound.

 

LOL, there was a white one in my neighborhood in Waretown for quite a while. It escaped from its owners house about a 1/2 mile away, and decided that it liked my block (which backs up to a large wooded area). Popcorn park people had tried previously to catch it for the owner in various places around town, and didn't have any luck. When we called him, he drove by and basically 'gave' it to us. Gee, thanks buddy! Annoying, annoying birds.

Peacocks sound like the woman screaming in the beginning of Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd.

Mountain Lion 2

Mountain Lion 3

 

Mountain Lion 4

Red Fox

 

Coyote 1

Coyote 2

Coyote 3

Coyote 4

Coyote 5

Coyote 6

Coyote 7

Bobcat 1

Bobcat 2

Bobcat 3

There have been fisher's around for a while and they are making a comeback in N.J.. While still protected, there have been numerous sightings east in the Ramapo Mountains, west in Sussex county along the Kittatinny and Walpack mountain range, and further south in New Jersey.

http://www.state.nj....2007/fisher.htm

 

I think a rabbit distress call in the middle of the night is the creepiest sound going. Two examples:

http://varmintal.com/weems.mp3

http://varmintal.com/weems2.mp3

My sister lives in Weston, CT and they're starting to see Fisher Cats there. Almost the same scenario as the OP - they woke up to what sounded like a woman's scream. That same week she saw one on her road.

Thanks for posting the clips Patriot Oak. While the fox and fisher clips are similar, what we heard was the shrill of the fisher cat. I had my doubts until my neighbor said that he has seen fisher cats.

 

And Parker, I hear that rabbit screams a lot during the summer...also followed by coyotes "yelping".

 

I just don't know how people live in the 'burbs

The return of the fisher to New Jersey signifies a pivotal moment in the future of human interactions with wildlife in which animals are appreciated not only for their economic value but also for their ecological role as well as aesthetic appeal. Elusive carnivores such as fishers are extremely important in balancing forest ecosystems by reducing rodent populations and competing with other predators that may negatively impact native plants and nesting birds. Fishers are an integral part of the natural heritage of New Jersey and their restoration is a testament to the quality of the state’s environment. It was once thought that the only way to see an animal like a fisher was to travel hundreds of miles north, but we now have the golden opportunity to spot the glorious fisher right here in the Garden State.

 

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/spotlight/fisher/

There have been fisher's around for a while and they are making a comeback in N.J.. While still protected, there have been numerous sightings east in the Ramapo Mountains, west in Sussex county along the Kittatinny and Walpack mountain range, and further south in New Jersey.

http://www.state.nj....2007/fisher.htm

 

I think a rabbit distress call in the middle of the night is the creepiest sound going. Two examples:

http://varmintal.com/weems.mp3

http://varmintal.com/weems2.mp3

 

My 5 year old daughter is always asking me what sounds animals make and she gets mad when I say a particular animal does not make a sound. Rabbit is one she asks about over and over. I just played that for her , I don't think she'll ask again for a while . And she may be sleeping in our bed tonight lol

And Parker, I hear that rabbit screams a lot during the summer...also followed by coyotes "yelping".

Those are bunnies crossing over into the white light on their way to Bunny Heaven.

 

I did a lot of rabbit distress calling this past weekend, but never got a coyote to come in during daylight. Fox, yes, but they were out of season, lots of crows along with Redtailed hawks came in looking for a free meal though. So, that sound is definitely a dinner bell for critters, winged and four-legged, looking for a meal.

Brought to you by the makers of the honey badger vid...lmao

 

Ive learned to hate peacocks a neighbor has several

My buddy filmed a fisher under his treestand while bow hunting in Blairstown this past fall, they're definitely around. We've seen Bobcats in the area as well.

Ive learned to hate peacocks a neighbor has several

 

No kidding, Out in Kali I used to date a girl out in Redondo Beach on here street there were dozens of them that just lived in town. Nice to look at, not nice to live around.

I know where there is a Fisher Cat in Winslow Twp.......