"Immediate epigeal", you're already talking like a pro, Corey!
6-8 inches of soil above the bulb is pretty deep in normal soil, unless the are really big bulbs. But if you still have good drainage that deep, as you would with the sandy soil, there shouldn't be any problem. It does mean they will sprout later in the spring above the soil line, and finding the bulbs later for transplanting or removal will be that much more of a chore.
A note for everyone: when literature says to plant "X" inches deep, they measure from the soil surface to the where the bottom of the bulb will be.
Don't mulch too early, Corey. Wait for the soil to get cold. The point of the mulch is not to keep the soil warm, but to help prevent multiple freeze thaw cycles. I am in zone 4, and I won't be mulching for a couple weeks yet. Some years, what forces me to get my mulch spread is impending snow! Everyone looks for those early sprouts in the spring, but I like it when my mulch keeps the ground cold, and delays spring emergence. I never have to worry about late frosts or untimely cold spells.
Often times, rabbits are worse in residential areas. Keep a watch for bunny tracks through the winter.
