ORIGINAL: Illini_Sportsman

Short and sweet. Shotgun hunting two years ago over a big cut hayfield in the evening. As daylight has run out and we are all beginning to exit our stands (4 people all around this field), we all hear this absolutely blood-curdling, high-pitched scream. It's only about 75 yards back behind me in the timber, but everyone hundreds of yards away hears it clearly too. I live in south-central Illinois my friends, and unless this was a unique bird of some sort making a weird vocalization, there is absolutely nothing in my woods that makes this sound. I put a pretty firm grip on my 12 gauge and walked backwards a good ways with 100% of my focus on the sound's origin until I met up with the guys to leave.