
17 Seasons And Counting: Watch Maine Wild Life Chow Down Via Brownville’s Food Pantry For Deer Webcams
Richard McMahon from Piscataquis County has been single-handedly feeding hundreds of deer in Maine for almost 30 years. McMahon used to be a hunter.
"I grew up on deer meat as a young person, when the state of Maine had a lot more deer. Now instead of eating them, I'm feeding them."
Starting first in a different Maine town, McMahon took over feeding the herd in Brownville, after he moved there many years ago, and the gentleman who had been feeding them passed away.
Nearly 10 years ago, with the help of his family, McMahon set up The Brownville Food Pantry For Deer, a live stream which he hosts on YouTube, that allows folks from all over the world to watch the deer eat.
"It was quite a chore for my boy, Randy. He's the one who does all the technical stuff and puts all the cameras up."
"We've upgraded all the cameras. We've got a new PTZ, which is pretty awesome. So we have 5 cameras live now. "
McMahon, who recently turned 79-years-old, started his 17th season of feeding deer in Brownville this past December.
A few years ago, he upgraded the entire operation to include a huge grain silo to hold the oats he gets from a company in Houlton.
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He estimates that he goes through about 25 tons of food a year. Buying in bulk and storing it allows him to save money, and since the food is purchased mostly by donation that comes in from around the world, the cost savings are a plus.

McMahon drives his "Oatmobile" from trough to trough, daily at around 9 AM, to fill them with food for the deer.
The Brownville's Food Pantry for Deer YouTube has over 167-thousand subscribers worldwide, who can then watch the animals come to feed.
Folks can tune into the channel any time to watch the deer, day or night!
You can even check it out, too!
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"It's pretty awesome. I never thought it would get this big when I first started. But it's getting bigger every year."
"I think they just like being close to nature. The calm, the peace, the quiet. It's just relaxing. I get all kinds of posts and emails saying just how relaxing it is."
At its peak, McMahon says there's been anywhere between 100 and 200 deer that come to feed, along with a host of other wildlife visitors.
"All sorts of animals from owls to fishers to porcupines. Every animal that we have ventures through here at one point."
He says seeing each new generation of deer arrive, with some older ones now bringing their offspring, keeps inspiring him to continue with the cause.
McMahon will continue to feed the deer till about April.
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