Possible vocalizations heard by a farmer near Max Meadows witnessed in Wythe County, Virginia

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At approximately 10 pm one night, my wife and I returned home from a shopping trip. Upon opening the car door and stepping into the gravel driveway I heard a distinct and loud vocalization. It wasn't a howl, not a growl, nothing I had heard before which is what caught my attention. At 31 years old now, 28 then, I had spent my life in the outdoors, locally and abroad. I have never heard anything to match this. My wife asked me what it was and I had to admit I didn't know, but perhaps it was a big cat. But it didn't sound like a cat, and the only cats in the area that are known as 'big' would be bobcats, a big one being 18-29 lbs. I walked inside the house, cutting on the rear porch light, and walked through the house to the front deck where I walked back outside, cutting on the front deck light. I stood at the end of the deck facing east and listened intently. The 'cries' were coming from a ridge in a large woodlot across the railroad tracks behind our house. Our house is situa...