PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 11, 2026
Every winter for 17 years, the McMahon family has fed deer on their property in Brownville to help sustain them through northern Maine’s coldest months. What started with a few bags of oats each morning has grown into an industrial-level feeding operation, attracting thousands of live viewers to the McMahons’ YouTube channel, But not everyone is a fan of the food pantry. State officials, for one, say it’s more natural to let deer fend for themselves. Maine residents are allowed to feed deer between Dec. 16 and April 30, but the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife does not condone it. They say feeding deer can disrupt migration, impact long-term behavior and cause deer to starve because they can’t digest certain foods, like hay.