Possible vocalizations heard by backpackers in Otter Creek Wilderness witnessed in Randolph County, West Virginia

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I'll be brief since this was only an audio. We were backpacking in the Otter Creek Wilderness near Elkins WV. It was the first week of Jan. '07. It was unseasonably warm. We were out for about 4 days, 3 nights. The third night we were camping by Yellow Creek. It was Saturday night at about 4 30 pm. It was starting to get dark and we were working diligently to start a fire. It had rained on and off the entire time we were there so everything was wet. As I used a small log to hammer my hatchet through another log ( splitting kindling), I heard something howling way up the hollow. It was pretty far off by my estimation and at first I mistook it for a coyote. I kept hammering away as my buddy, who works for ODNR Div of Wildlife, was talking. He hadn't heard it. I then heard it again. The same call. This time something struck me as strange. It wasn't a coyote. There are several reasons I quickly came to this conclussion. The call was long and drawn out without the typical undulations and...