Most folks will agree that there is no more relaxing sound than a steady rain on an old tin roof as you are drifting off to sleep. One of the most serene sounds that most of us have had the pleasure of hearing is the calling back and forth of a pair of mourning doves. There are sounds that we all remember from our childhood days when we spent what seemed like endless hours in the outdoors — many of them pleasant sounds and a joy to recall and some bring back stark memories that sometimes we would rather forget.

Growing up in the countryside of Lycoming County, one would frequently encounter the screech of a redtail hawk as it coursed far above in search of mice or small birds for its next meal. Evenings brought out the hoot of the Great Horned owl and the rippling trill of the little screech owl. On more than one occasion, I experienced the ease of calling back and forth to a screech owl, only to have it answer from a far distance and then, next time, have him call back at a much closer distance. Several times they were so responsive and curious that they ended up flying in and perching on a nearby limb, sometimes just a few feet away!

I remember very well one time as a young teenager, walking out into the yard late one evening on a pitch black night and hearing, for the first time, the blood-curdling cry of a bobcat. It was shrill and came suddenly from the hillside several hundred yards away, and it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I didn’t wait to hear it again but instead returned quickly to the warmth and comfort of the fire in the fireplace in that old farmhouse at the base of Katy Jane Mountain.

While fishing for trout on a small mountain stream in the darkness of a summer evening, I was not aware of the presence of a curious beaver. It had traveled from downstream to the base of the pool that I was fishing when it finally had enough of my presence and slapped its broad tail against the surface of the water, making a loud splash that made me jump and almost drop my fishing rod!

Because of a heavy overcast sky one morning in spring gobbler season, there was not one star visible to aid my vision as I walked along a field edge toward where I hoped to set up for a morning hunt. I heard rustling in the grass of the field, and then the noise continued with the rustling of leaves in the woods. Sure that it was merely a deer, I continue my walk when I jerked to a stop when the female black bear gave out a deep guttural growl of disapproval of my presence. No doubt she had cubs with her, as my flashlight revealed her outline standing at the base of a large oak tree. “A momma bear with cubs is nothing to mess with,” I thought, and slowly backed away hoping that would satisfy her displeasure.

Of all of the sounds that I have experienced over the many years of tramping through the woods, there are four that stir special feelings and that I recall very specifically when and where I have heard them.

First is the loud thunder of a spring gobbler as he greets the first light of morning and his call rumbles down the hillside from his lofty roost tree. Surely, many Pennsylvania turkey hunters are familiar with this sound, but it saddens me to think how many people have never been thrilled by it.
Next is the shrill bugle of a bull elk. It was on an elk hunt in southwestern Montana as the sun settled slowly in the western sky that I first heard this unique and thrilling sound as the bull was sounding off to ward away any would-be challengers from his harem of cows.

On a moose hunt in northern Quebec, during the midmorning hours, while there was still a soft fog reducing the visibility across the open lake, I heard for the first time the lonesome wail of the common loon. It is an eerie and, at the same time, beautiful sound.

Finally, as I began pushing through two feet of snow, my 300 Weatherby Magnum over my shoulder, and millions of bright stars lighting my way across the Alberta landscape, just a few hundred yards away, a timber wolf let loose with a bone-chilling howl that I will never forget. He was wishing me good luck on my hunt, but letting me know that he too was on the hunt!

My greatest hope is that every true sportsman and outdoorsman will someday experience each of those four sounds in the wild! You’ll never forget them!