Screaming or howling in Polk County, Georgia

I am reporting and writing this on behalf of my step father-in-law (f-i-l). This incident occurred with he and my brother-in-law (b-i-l)in 1984 or 1985 (he is not sure of the year since so much time has passed). He and my b-i-l were deer hunting in the fall on some old growth hardwood/pine forrest near where my f-i-l was raised. They had drove into the area, parked, then separated to go to their respective hunting areas (he up hill about 100 yards from the vehicle and my b-i-l about 100 yards down away fromt the vehicle in a bottom area). As they met back at their vehicle, my b-i-l related that he had come across a deer carcass that was torn apart (limbs appeared "ripped" from the trunk and the trunk torn open). He had never seen anything like it. They hiked back to the area and to the carcass and had to push physically push through some thick growth to the site of the carcass. My f-i-l related that the kill was fresh, no more than 24 hours old at the oldest as there was no decay, had not been scattered by scanvengers, and it was too fresh to have maggots hatching. While looking, he related that he began to have a strong feeling of being watched and began to smell something that was a combination of a wet dog and rotting garbage. As it was getting dark, they headed back to their truck. He said the truck was about 100 yards away and as they walked, he noticed the sound of something walking parallet to themabout 10-15 yards into the undergrowth. As they reached the truck (they had both unloaed their guns earlier), something in the underbush less than 10 yard away he estimated, "screamed" at them. He related that he had heard peacocks, deer, bobcat, etc while growing up and while hunting. and this was like nothing either of them had ever heard. Both of them are avid deer and turkey hunters with primitive weapons and firearms and have spent a great deal of time in the woods. The sound was so strange and unnerving that he said the hair on his arms and neck stood up. They both fumbled with their guns trying to reload and to get in the truck as it was almost full dark by then. They immediately left the area as fast as possible. My b-i-l passed away in 1999 and to my knowledge, I never remember or know of him telling anyone else about this. My f-i-l took me back out to the area on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007. This was the first time he had been back since the incident occurred. He related that he could close his eyes and still hear that scream and he could feel his hairs standing up. We walked the area but it has been clear cut for timber and is now leased to a hunting club (Inland Paper is the land owner) and a gate has been put up so that you have to walk to the area where the incident occurred. The area is in the nw part of the county very close to the Alabama state line. There is no one living close to this area still, there is running water, a large deer population going by the tracks we saw and scat, as well as good cover provided by timber piles and second growth forest returning. My f-i-l had never told this story to anyone else until he heard me telling some other family members abou going on the GA 2006 expedition. He then told me later while we were alone with no other family members present.