An open record of things people cannot explain

St. Johns County, Florida · 2006-10-07 · from the BFRO archive

Screaming or howling in St. Johns County, Florida

Last year my brother and I were hog hunting in the Guana River WMA in St Johns County, FL. There was a lot of activity in the woods that day as this place gets crowded during hog hunts. We were the last hunters to leave and we were talking to the check station attendant (biologist). It was about an hour after dark and it was starting to get cold. There was only a propane heater and latern running at the check station. The Game Wardens had cleared the WMA of all vehicles, so we know that we were the only ones left in the area. To get into the WMA, you must drive through a wooded portion of a state park (no hunting allowed). The check station is about 300 yards past the entrance gate. As we were getting ready to leave, we heard a very loud screaming (several screams over a 6-7 second period) about 75 to 100 yards behind the check station back towards a marshy area that borders the state park and WMA. These screams were high pitched and very powerful, and they seemed to go right through you. It sounded as though there was someone getting attacked by something. It made the hair on the back of our necks stand up. The air was very calm and cool. We could also hear the faint sound of something in the woods moving palmettos and bushes (lasted about 3 or 4 seconds). At first we thought it might have been a bird in the marsh, but this sound was way too loud and the even though it was high pitched, it was very dynamic as though a very large animal had made it. The sound was closer than the marsh, and we heard the noises of something moving in the woods. It sounded very similar to some the recorded sounds I have heard on this site. We asked the biologist what he thought it was and he did not know. For several minutes we pondered the idea that it was a bobcat/panther, hog, bird, of some sort of small game getting attacked such as a rabbit squeel, but we all concurred that it was none of those. My brother and I have been hunting/camping all of our lives and know different animal sounds. It freaked us out pretty bad and we left after hearing this. I was especially freaked out by the response of the biologist who did not stick around. Normally I would have just ignored this incident and passed it off as some animal as mentioned before, but I know that it was not. It also brought back the memory of a very similar sound we heard years ago (84-86?) in Pennsylvania while camping on a vaction trip (rural area of Lancaster County). It was just after dark as we returned back to our camper (grandparents motorhome) from the camp ground fishing pond. As we arrived, we heard the same type of sound off in the distance. It scared us to death and we did not leave the camper all night. We urged our grandparents to travel to our next camp ground the next day. I have heard other stories of sightings and sounds from very credible witnesses. This incident makes me a believer, and I will never walk in the woods feeling the same again.

What stood out: screaming or howling

 

Others who described something like this

2000-08-01

about 8 or 9 years ago, when i was working as a patrol offficer for a company here in jacksonville florida, a friend of mine was in a building that was backed up next to a large area of wood

both described screaming or howling · 23 km away

2011-07-02

My son and I were out fishing one night in July of 2011 at about 1am on friday night at the Matanza bridge back waters, this is on A1A in Florida. at about 2:00 am, we heard this really weir

both described screaming or howling · 31 km away

2005-08-19

This happened tonight. I had gone outside on the porch to have a cigarette about 9:00 pm and my two German Sherpards went out with me. I was outside about 2 -3 mins. when less then 100 feet

both described screaming or howling · 34 km away

1947-07-01

This incident happened around 1947/48. I was about 12/13 years of age. I have held this incident in my mind's eye all these years and have tried to figure out what I had seen. After reading

both described screaming or howling · 44 km away

2007-08-11

I DIDN'T GET THE DATE EXACTLY BUT WAS A FEW DAYS BEFORE WE HAD TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.ME AND MY FRIENDS WERE CAMPING IN THE WOODS IN MIDDLEBURG.IT WAS ABOUT 9 OR 10PM AT NIGHT...I DIDNT HAVE A

both described screaming or howling · 48 km away

2007-10-15

It was about 6:15 and I was walking to my bus stopand as soon as I got to the bus stop about 6:20 I heard loud howling and then about every 5 minutes I heard more howling. It was like someth

both described screaming or howling · 49 km away

Has this happened to you?

Write it down while you still remember the details. We will look for the others.

Tell us what you saw

Know someone this happened to?

If this reminds you of something a friend or a relative told you once and never mentioned again, send them this page. Reading that a stranger described the same thing is usually the part that helps.

By emailBy text

Nothing is tracked back to you and nothing is sent on your behalf. The link is just the page you are reading.

This account was written by a member of the public and published in the BFRO archive. We reproduce it with thanks and remove anything on request. Location shown is approximate.