Author Topic: What animal in the midwest makes a loud 'whoop' sound? (Read 7747 times)

Leupold · « **on:** December 28, 2010, 07:03:42 AM »

Howdy fellas.

I've long pondered this question but as of yet have not come to any conclusion. Over the years when out deer hunting and such I've occasionally been surprised by loud whooping sounds. IIRC I've usually heard these early in the morning right as the sun is coming up. This call tends to be rather loud and are usually two whoops in succession. I'm pretty sure it isn't an owl, and it certainly isn't a coyote.

The last time I heard this was about a week ago, I was set up in a pop up blind on the edge of the woods over looking a cut bean field. The back of the blind was up tight to a cedar thicket and I had a good view in the other 3 directions. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon and it was pretty darned cold out. Anyway, as I sat there waiting for the woods to wake up I heard two loud whoops behind me, they came from either the cedar thicket, or from the other side of it.

I find this intriguing because after all the time I've spent in the field over the years I still can't place what would make this call. Any thoughts?

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2010, 07:19:00 AM »

Crane maybe ? Swamp turkey ( blue herron) ? I know how you feel for years I have heard sounds I was not sure of the cause . A good example was a few years ago i caught a young coon in a box trap. Had it in the trap on the tail gate of my truck . It started making a clicking noise . Old moma coon starting making a sound i had heard but never knew who made it.

BTW in Va the guy driving deer dogs makes a whooping noise to jump deer and keep from getting shot

Leupold · « **Reply #2 on:** December 28, 2010, 07:49:21 AM »

Shootall, I guess the heron idea is a possibility. On this particular piece of ground there's 6 small ponds, a couple of springs and two intermittent creeks. Plus, I have seen heron's flying in the area. That said, I still don't know that they make this call and I'm not sure why they would be in a cedar thicket. But who knows?

Rodent · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2010, 04:43:16 PM »

Maybe it was a Whooping Crane...no joke.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2010, 04:27:17 AM »

Quote from: Rodent on December 29, 2010, 04:43:16 PM

Maybe it was a Whooping Crane...no joke.

That's what I thought too, but I went on-line and listened to a recording of it and it didn't sound like his description of the call.

Actually one site said it was bigfoot, so congratulations.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2010, 05:20:51 AM »

Sand hill crane ?

Leupold · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2010, 01:36:58 PM »

Quote from: GRIMJIM on December 30, 2010, 04:27:17 AM

Quote from: Rodent on December 29, 2010, 04:43:16 PM
Maybe it was a Whooping Crane...no joke.

That's what I thought too, but I went on-line and listened to a recording of it and it didn't sound like his description of the call.

Actually one site said it was bigfoot, so congratulations.

That would certainly be interesting, but I'm more apt to believe it was a crane, and I kinda doubt that. But, as I've said, I dunno, so it might really surprise me if/when I learn what it is.

gr8ful · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2010, 03:46:42 PM »

Bigfoot

roflmao my guess it is probably human in origin

Leupold · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2010, 04:20:21 PM »

Quote from: gr8ful on December 30, 2010, 03:46:42 PM

Bigfoot roflmao my guess it is probably human in origin

It wasn't a bigfoot, but it wasn't human either. If you were familiar with the location you would understand why I say that, besides the fact it didn't sound like a human.

Doug B. · « **Reply #9 on:** January 01, 2011, 02:06:52 AM »

I used to hear sounds as you describe in my younger days. Usually about 1:30 a.m. at my favorite watering hole!

charles p · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2011, 05:46:05 PM »

A heron makes a squawk type sound. Here them almost every day where I live as they fly up and down the tidal creek behind my house.

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2011, 07:27:22 AM »

Those whooping noises couldn't be the wings of a large bird, could they? Hearing a turkey leave a tree makes a WHOMP WHOMP noise. Scaring a heron off it's roost in the morning along a river gets the same sorta noise.

Just trying to help...

Curious noises get under my skin. I've compltetly forgotten about hunting and got out of a treestand more than once to go investigate one. I gotta Know!

HWD

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2011, 07:37:08 AM »

Don't know why but I thought about a beaver smacking the water with his tail in the distance ? $:-\$

rwng · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:46:11 PM »

Maybe a Grouse or Prairie Chicken??

blackhawk45 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 11, 2011, 06:41:11 AM »

Bigfoot

squirrellluck · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2011, 11:16:31 AM »

Not having heard the sound I would just be guessing but I have heard an owl make a whooping sound that was very un-owlish. Being I was looking at him at the time I know it came from him.

jrfrmn · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2011, 07:23:29 PM »

Quote from: Leupold on December 28, 2010, 07:03:42 AM

Howdy fellas.

I've long pondered this question but as of yet have not come to any conclusion. Over the years when out deer hunting and such I've occasionally been surprised by loud whooping sounds. IIRC I've usually heard these early in the morning right as the sun is coming up. This call tends to be rather loud and are usually two whoops in succession. I'm pretty sure it isn't an owl, and it certainly isn't a coyote.

The last time I heard this was about a week ago, I was set up in a pop up blind on the edge of the woods over looking a cut bean field. The back of the blind was up tight to a cedar thicket and I had a good view in the other 3 directions. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon and it was pretty darned cold out. Anyway, as I sat there waiting for the woods to wake up I heard two loud whoops behind me, they came from either the cedar thicket, or from the other side of it.

I find this intriguing because after all the time I've spent in the field over the years I still can't place what would make this call. Any thoughts?

Big bird!

pastorp · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2011, 04:51:44 PM »

I just watched a documentary on bigfeet and according to a Washington state game biologist big foot makes that sound accompanied by banging rocks together or throwing them.
They said that is normal large ape behavior.

Regards,

J-Train · « **Reply #18 on:** April 02, 2011, 04:47:45 PM »

See if you can find a recording of a barred owl. They have a distinctive series of whoops in their calls, but sometimes just let out one or two whoops. If they are nearby and let out a whoop in the dark, it can be startling.

FourBee · « **Reply #19 on:** April 02, 2011, 04:59:55 PM »

Leupold; it ain't nothing but an old raccoon making a long distance call.

rdmallory · « **Reply #20 on:** April 03, 2011, 03:49:13 PM »

Peafowl makes a load whoop. Was nosing around in an old barn in the woods one day and there was one in the barn and it cut loose with a sound put me to my knees. I knew I was had by something BIG.

Doug

gr8ful · « **Reply #21 on:** April 04, 2011, 03:33:51 AM »

think it could have been a coyote? they make all kinds of wierd sounds. so do racoons. $:-\$

FourBee · « **Reply #22 on:** April 04, 2011, 06:22:05 AM »

Quote from: gr8ful on April 04, 2011, 03:33:51 AM

think it could have been a coyote? they make all kinds of wierd sounds. so do racoons. $:-\$

In my neck of the woods when the coyotes lite up the night with their antics they're usually running in packs, and give themselve away with multiple howls.
On the otherhand them ole Raccoons get seperated from their offspring/siblings and one of 'em will let out that lonely eerie OOooooh!, or a - - - - WhooOOOOP ! , in the still of the night. Kinda raises the hair on the back of your neck if you don't know what's making that sound.

blind ear · « **Reply #23 on:** April 04, 2011, 12:59:40 PM »

rdmallory, you were attcked by an Middle Eastern India watch dog. ear

thejanitor · « **Reply #24 on:** April 29, 2011, 07:18:25 PM »

Ever heard a Bittern? Here is a link to the sound they make...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAxAEoAVmuc
We have them in MN -thejanitor

Mikey · « **Reply #25 on:** May 20, 2011, 02:49:51 PM »

Not Heron, or Crane. Loon?

rwng · « **Reply #26 on:** May 22, 2011, 05:52:19 AM »

http://enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?shapeID=964&curGroupID=1&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=6

This is what I had mentioned before, listen for the "whooping" at the end.

chefjeff · « **Reply #27 on:** May 22, 2011, 04:56:52 PM »

Its a midwest redneck that has just completed the morning constitutional ! Confession- sometimes I whoop too and I'm only a carolina redneck !

painted horse · « **Reply #28 on:** January 01, 2012, 07:10:46 AM »

Maybe a Raven?? They make many different sounds and if in captivity can even learn words. Don't know that I've ever heard a "whooping" sound though. The females make a rapid "knocking" sound thats pretty interesting to hear.

1911crazy · « **Reply #29 on:** February 18, 2012, 09:11:08 AM »

We get into our stands before day break. As the sky starts to light up i heard a tree knock above me. Then another answered it from deep in the national forest. I haven't heard any wooping at this time yet. My son was a tad farther down the road from the knocking above us and he heard both knocks too. All of a sudden he says something is out there. He is paying attention to the strange noises in the wilds now.
Do a search for "bigfoot sounds" many sounds will come up for you tpo listen too.