Creepy "screaming" sounds in the woods by my home

Please go easy on this wallflower.

I was outside on my back porch in Goose Creek SC, which is a suburb of Charleston, at approximately 1:15 am May 26th 2016 recording the sounds of the trains in the distance, and then I began to hear these creepy noises coming from the woods near my home.
I am a night Owl and avid sky & star watcher, so I hang out on my back porch almost every night, weather permitting. I have heard many animal sounds that I thought sounded strange, however I've never heard anything like this the whole 6 years I've lived in this house.
I have researched the "usual suspects", which are the common wildlife I see around my neighborhood quite often and native to the Low Country. Some of the native animals I've looked into, (this isn't a complete list), are Fox, mountain lion, deer, wild turkey, Blue Ingrid, Owls, even Frogs (there is a species of frog that screams but I don't believe they're a native species here), Lizards, alligator (yep we have a few living happily in a couple of our neighborhood ponds.) But none sound like this.
Honestly I was extremely scared when I began to hear them. My blood ran cold & I got goose bumps! However, I felt like I needed to continue recording these screams.
It may or may not have any real significance, but a few things to know about the area I live in are;
#1 I live a stones throw away from Charleston Naval Station.
#2 Although I'm only 5 miles from the city of North Charleston, and my little city of Goose Creek has a substantial population, the neighborhood i live in feels secluded and is surrounded by woods. It's a dead end road at the moment, so you really don't haves a reason to be back here unless you live you here or are visiting someone who does live here.
#3 Most of the woods that surround us is swamp land.
#4 There is a huge Plantation right across from our hood, it's privately owned and is just a huge area of woods. Lots of history there, I'm sure. It's called Medway Plantation, if you'd like to have a look at my area for yourself on Google Earth or something.
The original video was 15 mins long, so the only editing I did was cutting out the first 13 mins. The screams started right before I was going to stop recording.
The audio has not been edited in any way.
If you'd like the full 15 min video, I'll be happy send you the video.
I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for these bone chilling sounds, but my imagination runs wild with thoughts of a Bigfoot family, or Screams of ghosts from the civil war or even slavery from Medway Plantation. But seriously, can anyone please help me solve this creepy mysterious sound? I don't like feeling afraid to sit outside and star gaze. But last night I was jumping from fear at any noise I heard!
I welcome all thoughts, ideas, facts & would really LOVE to hear about YOUR OWN creepy outdoor stories! And yes I've read all the missing 411 books. 😄
youtu.be...

*Sorry I do not know how to embed the actual video.

I've read that dogmen like swampy areas,and definitely of course forested areas.Check out the series on YT by Vic Cundiff,there's about a hundred episodes,with people who have had encounters or sightings.

I would have to guess young wolves not use to the sound of trains...

originally posted by: 5StarOracle
I would have to guess young wolves not use to the sound of trains...

I agree. Sounds less like a "scream" and more like wolves yapping mixed with train echoes.

It sounds like you've ruled it out, but perhaps Coyotes? I heard what sounded like a woman being abused and screaming out for help in the creek one night, and as I ran down there, I quickly realized my mistake and ran all the way back to my house lol. It was a small group of Coyotes just screeching and being obnoxious. I had never heard them like that before because typically we don't have them around like that.

-Alee

My guess would be either young wolves/coyotes, or fisher cats.

a reply to: Mjab6910

The first scream DID sound like a woman.😱

Since I always go for the Ockhams choice,I'd think that was coyotes.

I first heard a fox screech when I was on exercise at the age of eighteen.Fortunately,I was already in a hole in the ground.

Nothing weird, just coyotes.

a reply to: Mjab6910

Hey there! Wife and I are thinking of eventually moving to Charleston (I'm a Gamecock) anyways this sounds like yotes as people have pointed out.

Could also be a hare or rabbit in distress (I'm a big hunter so very familiar with both sounds).

a reply to: Raxoxane

Ohhhhh that sounds good! Thank you. I'm definitely going to dig into that.

I need to get a fence built asap.

After those noises, and now this show you've suggested, I don't know if I'll ever be able to star gaze in peace again! LoL

Isn't the mind a wonderful, mysterious, tricky thing?

Well....from what I was able to hear of it. It may have been a pack of coyotes. They can have some very creepy sounding conversations among themselves in the middle of the night. I have heard them often where I live.....when you get 3-4 of them howling and yelping and making whatever other types of sounds that they can generate it can sound pretty creepy.

I had a similar experience one night at my place ( 1/2 mi down in the woods in Northern ME )...I too like to be outside late at night listening and looking at the sky. One night my dog Freddy and I were standing in the yard and all of a sudden the most blood curdling screaming started going on. All I can say is it sounded like a woman being killed or something...and it sounded very close like less then 100' away. Freddy and I just stood there listening and looking at each other saying... what the hell is that ? It was very loud and close. I think it was probably either a Cougar ( Very Rare ) or a pair of Canadian Lynx or Bobcats

a reply to: Mjab6910

Fisher cats have a very frightening scream-sound they make, as one other commenter mentioned it could be a fisher cat

Possibly a passel of peacocks. They have a scream that'll raise the hairs on the back of you neck. Maybe that plantation place keeps some, or did until they escaped.

a reply to: DAVID64

That happened to me predawn in death valley, coyotes surrounded me outside a restaurant, howling so loud it hurt my ears. They were right nearby, but I never saw them. Scary to contemplate what they might have been thinking, I was the only fresh meat for miles.

I finished my 'business', zipped up and walked back inside, oblivious. When I got inside I returned to our table and told my Dad what happened, a guy next to us listened, then leaned over and told me I was probably lucky to not have been attacked.

I dunno, I wasn't afraid, probably ignorant, but enjoyed it immensely. I was serenaded by coyotes in death valley (insert Twilight Zone theme).

Probably a coyote. I've heard some sort of "screaming" sounds and yipping sounds around the same time. I live kind of close to a swampy wooded area that is known to have coyotes.

We had a Mountain Lion in the woods in front of our house that scared the crap out of us
we had no idea they could make this sound ..... creepy.

Mountain Lion

a reply to: Mjab6910

Just north of you the SeeWee Nature Center ( on Rt.17) has been participating in a Red Wolf recovery program. Red Wolves have been released in the Francis Marion National Forest. It's a lovely and informative interpretive facility!

Now....about Francis Marion. This watershed reaches up unobscured to pretty much Salisbury NC. Lots of run-ways for larger critters.

While Dogmen are the cryptid "de'jour" I drove thru there 2 yrs ago and we had skunk ape activity up outside of Aynor SC. No one in their right mind couldn't figure out Francis Marion wasn't ground zero.

I'd say you may have gotten lucky and heard some Red Wolves, if so CONGRATS!!!
If you're curious run up to SeeWee and see them yourself, they have a few on site. Very cool btw!

Don't forget to see the ladies making sweetgrass baskets on Rt.17 in Mt. Pleasant. This stretch of highway from Charleston right up to Myrtle beach has more amazing places to stop and learn something than about anywhere. Add Bull Island and Huntington beach State Park, Murals Inlet and the rock shop....

You lucky Bastard!!!

Sounds like coyotes, and a couple young ones mixed in too. Probably family fun or arguments over meat.

I live in the UK and a huge woods backs on to my garden.. There are regular high pitched screams up there. Obviously some sort of animal and enough noise to scare the kids.
I always assumed it was the deer screaming, but could well be the badgers and foxes too..

Honestly, it's probably just coons, or cougars if you have them there, which I doubt.