PERFECT-TIMING EVENTS
Other examples of perfect timing, in response to some situation encountered in the turkey woods, include making the most of such things as the spring breakup. That event takes place when large winter flocks of turkeys separate into smaller groups in advance of the annual breeding ritual. During the separation process, which may only take a day or two, there are pecking order fights between gobblers and also among hens. It's during this time that the toms, vying for position on the social ladder, are apt to come running to any loose hen they hear and that, of course, is where you come in.

The increasing hours of daylight and the prevailing weather pattern drives the breakup. Cold weather may delay the process while a period of warm weather can accelerate it by days or even weeks. By observing weather conditions you can make a pretty good guess as to whether the break up has already happened or is about to begin. Be there when the breakup starts and you'll be in the short line to enjoy another round of perfect timing.

Another thing that you might experience early in the season is an encounter with an aggressive hen. You'll recognize the signs right away. The hen will answer your calls in a threatening manner and if you persist she just might come in looking for a fight. This is a hen in the process of asserting her dominance over other hens in the vicinity. To her you're an outsider that needs to be put in your place.

The trick is to take advantage of an aggressive hen when you encounter one because if she is running with a gobbler or two she may very well be your best friend. While toms with hens are extremely difficult to call, a hen still asserting her dominance is not. If she comes to you, her companions usually won't be very far behind. The idea here is to act on the situation as soon as possible. It only takes a few days to sort the pecking order out and for things to calm down.

One morning, while trying to locate some turkeys, I heard a loud round of hen talk and several gobbles in response to some box call yelps I had made. Surprised by the intensity of the response, I immediately plopped down by a tree, stuck a diaphragm call in my mouth, and did my best to duplicate every sound that hen made. After scolding me from afar for several minutes, she hiked up the ridge almost to my feet, looking for what she thought was a cheeky competitor. Unfortunately, the hen got nervous when no rival appeared and she walked away before her companions arrived.

Taking that incident as a clue, I was back the next day deliberately looking for that feisty hen. Amazingly, I found her, but this time I was better prepared. As soon as she yakked back at my calls, I placed a hen decoy in plain view and got set up in the shade a few yards away. We traded insults briefly and then she started coming my way. When the defiant hen stepped into view and saw the decoy, she immediately went to it, spoiling for a fight.

I would have liked to watch but at the moment I was engrossed in a parade. Another hen and two longbeard toms were right in front of me and the lead gobbler was about to be reduced to possession. Another case of perfect timing? You bet, but only because I took advantage of the hen's mood while she was still aggressive.

Perfect timing. The act of being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it's a matter of dumb luck but most often perfect timing is the reward for dealing thoughtfully with the variables encountered daily in the real world of spring turkey hunting. Spring turkey season is upon us. In addition to the above examples, there are plenty of other scenarios that can result in perfect timing and your ultimate turkey hunting success.