Bagging his best buck

POUND, Wis. — For more than 50 years, Steve Brault has donned blaze orange and headed to the woods in November, pursuing a sport and hobby taught to him by his father.

“I really enjoy watching the wildlife,” Brault said. “I love hunting with my grandkids, teaching them to enjoy experiencing nature and the wildlife. They usually shoot bigger bucks than I do, but this year I had them beat.”

Brault harvested a 10-point buck on his first-generation Marinette County dairy farm where he lives with his wife, Theresa. The Braults, along with their adult children —Marc and Melissa — milk 85 cows and farm 300 acres. Another daughter, Ashley Darga, and her family help out on the farm as schedules allow.

The Braults raise corn for silage and alfalfa for baleage to feed their dairy herd. 

The deer population around the farm is plentiful, but not always welcome the Braults said. Crop damage from both deer and bear is experienced regularly. Damage continues beyond the field as stored feed is frequently damaged too.

“The deer will come right up to the feed piles and they will rip right through it in the winter,” Steve said. “It’s not uncommon to see 50 or more deer out there at any given time.”

Hunting the herd has contributed to great family memories over the years, Brault said as he has watched his children and grandchildren experience hunting successes.

“This guy is not the biggest whitetail harvested here on the farm,” Brault said. “But he is the biggest one I’ve ever gotten myself.”

The biggest buck Brault recalls being taken on the farm was a 12-pointer, shot by his granddaughter, Myia, in 2016. It was her first deer, harvested at the age of 10. The next year another granddaughter, Magge, bagged a 10-pointer.

Brault scored his buck on opening day, after spending the afternoon sitting in his tree stand. While some avid hunters know the trophy bucks they stalk and bag, Brault was unacquainted with the deer he harvested during the firearms deer season using a .30-06 rifle.

“I will sit in the evening and watch, and I’ll sometimes see over 70 deer a night,” Brault said. “But this was the first time I’d seen this particular deer.”

Having partaken in the annual deer hunt throughout his life, Brault said the camaraderie of enjoying the hunt with family is what draws him back to the woods each fall.

“Hunting is a part of me,” Brault said. “It’s something we do as a family.”

Teaching his children to appreciate the sport of the hunt has created memories Brault said he treasures.

“I taught my kids and grandkids to hunt just like my father taught me to hunt” Brault said. “Now I have a 4-month-old great-granddaughter, Millee, and I hope she will grow up and love and enjoy hunting as much as I do. I hope I am able to experience the joy of teaching her to hunt and everything that comes with it.”

Those bonds created by many successful forays into the woods throughout the years are what forge the stories of hunting that Brault enjoys reminiscing about with his family.

“Spending time together, sharing something you enjoy, that is what makes deer hunting special,” Brault said. “One of my favorite memories of hunting was back when you had to go register your deer at a registration site. We’d load up the deer and all go together. I’d take the kids; everyone could go show off their deer to everyone at the registration site. It was really a community event. It brought people together. I miss doing that.”