Screaming or howling in Paulding County, Georgia

It was roughly around the end of August 2011 and I was at my mothers house. The house is located in the Burnt Hickory area of Paulding County, GA. She lives in a subdivision but it is still out in the country. I have always been and still a night owl. I stepped out on her back deck around 0200 in the morning to have a cigarette. Behind her house is nothing but trees, shrubs, hills, and creeks. There is an abundance of wildlife in the area that range from deer to coyotes. I was a Reconnaissance Marine for 8 years with multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been to numerous survival schools all over America from Maine to California. Most of my life was spent in the woods and I understand what animals make what sounds. I do not unnerve very easily. So back to my story. I was on the back deck smoking a cigarette when I heard this loud howl/scream. The first howl grabbed my attention instantly. Because I had only heard it one time I was unsure what it was. So I listened with a bit more interest the second time and I was trying to run everything through my mind to to figure out what it was. I knew it was not a deer or coyote because the howl was so deep. So then I started to think about my surroundings. There is a highway a couple miles away so I thought it may have been a big rig/semi. Then I heard it again. That option was completely ruled out. So I started to think of what else it could be. Perhaps it was a generator running in the woods. Again I heard the howl. Not a generator! I had run through so many different scenarios that I was starting to get freaked out. The howl was from a living creature and it was much larger than I. Each howl lasted approx. 5 seconds with a 10-15 second rest before the next. I stood out there for about 5 minutes before listening to this before I was to freaked and headed inside. I immediately ran up to my computer and googled howling sounds in Paulding County, GA. There were several websites regarding howling in the area but most of them were referring to Picketts Mill Battlefield. Then I came across BFRO. Initially I was like "yeah...okay!". I started looking through the website and I came across some of the audio submissions from Ohio. Once I heard it I nearly crapped my pants. That howl was to a T of what I heard. The only difference was mine sounded much deeper, closer, and I didn't have dogs barking in the background. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I read through some of the other posts from Paulding County and Bartow County. What they all had to say was pretty freaky. Then I looked at the time frames they were made and where. During those time frames there was construction in the area. And when I heard my sounds they had just recently begun construction in the area. Not sure if there is any connection with that. I did bring it up to my wife the next day and she could hear the fear in my voice as I talked about it. Anyone that has been willing to listen I have mentioned it to.