Lifelong hunter hears strange screams in early morning twilight directly under tree stand witnessed in Bedford County, Virginia

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Deer hunting from a tree stand approx. 15 feet high. Arrived way too early, maybe an hour or more before daylight. I climbed into my tree stand and reversed the batteries in my flashlight to keep it from coming on in my pack, as I usually hunt all day until after dark in the evening. I had settled down and was waiting for shooting light. Quite some time had passed, enough time for everything to grow quite and me to cool off from the hike to my tree stand. Without any warning, directly underneath my stand came the most horrible sound imaginable. It started as a low guttural roar, somewhat as a lion or large cat might make. Then ascended in the scale until it was a horrifying, piercing, scream, that lasted several seconds or at least seemed to. I cannot describe how scary, and unnerving this scream was. Words do not convey it. After gathering my wits I comforted my self that I had a loaded 30/06 and nothing on earth could survive the 15 foot climb up that tree. I sat very sti...