Deep snow hunting?

[wisconsinteacher]

We have 12-18" of snow on the ground and hunt in one week.  Temps my get to 40 a few days of the week so we will still have a lot of snow on the ground.  Tonight I found a two flocks one has 25-35 hens the other has 15 or so male birds.  Some are long beards other are jakes.  The gobbler flock was in a field where the farmer spread manure today.  It is close to the road so that is where I am thinking about starting if I see them there more this week.  My question is about calling and decoys.  Right now, I am thinking about putting Jake Moble out with a jake fan and just sitting quiet for the first hour of the day.  If we don't see anything, I will then put a hen out and call.  What would you do if you had a flock of toms/jakes and no hens with deep snow and the birds still in their winter pattern?

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Yes any tips or experiences would be helpful.  I am mentoring a kid for the LTH program.  Temps for our hnut will be in the 30's with snow on the ground.  From a few inches to feet in drifts.  The turkeys seem to be in survival mode and still in bachelor groups no strutting seen.  This is not a freak cool front this is actually the spring warm up for us. Just delayed a month.

So do we hunt food and no calling?  Hunt food with calling like in fall?  Or are they males looking for the first hot hen and they are looking for another warm body to rub against and hunt normally

Any real world experience?

[TurkeyTom]

I haven't run into this yet..... even being from western New York...... but turkeys sure do love a hot lunch.   

And I suspect turkeys would cluck and purr while scratching and eating.  I think I would just set up and listen at first light.  If you hear them talk, I'd make a few soft tree calls.

If you don't hear any gobbles, I'd make a few assembly calls.... and maybe even a fighting purr call. Make it sound like a small flock. Then just cluck and purr every now and then to make them think the flock was eating.

I don't think I would even bother with decoys.... but you might put out a few.

Good luck and let us know how you make out. 

[Full_Fan]

I heard a couple birds gobbling on the roost a couple weeks ago when the temps were around 9 below zero.  I thought I was hearing things so took a quick little hike and sure enough, 2 birds were gobbling good in the tree and there was 20 inches of snow on the ground.  I have never hunted in deep snow or very cold conditions before, but think TurkeyTom has it right.  Less aggressive feeding calls.  Also, I'd scout that field hard to see if you can tell where they are entering it and then set up close hoping to cut them off.  This year is shaping up to be a complete opposite of last year's early spring in the midwest.

[Newly O_Brian]

What my game plan is for Prairie Farm(Barron County, Wisc) is stack out the South and West hillsides.
They have been feeding there for the last week...where there is no snow. In Prairie Farm, we have the advantage of large rolling hill, the North sides are impassable except on snowshoes and 4-wheel drive tractors . The hens seem to still be in winter groups.