The Homestead Lodge

Located at 871 Oxbow Rd in the remote wilderness of Oxbow, Maine, The Homestead Lodge presents itself as a comprehensive destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Functioning as a lodge, campground, and a specialized travel agency for field sports, it is a family-run business operated by Scott and Trisha Soucy. The establishment offers a variety of services, from guided hunts to snowmobile trail access, aiming to provide an all-in-one experience. However, customer feedback reveals a complex picture, with high praise for some aspects of the lodge clashing with significant concerns about others, particularly regarding their hunting operations.

Accommodations and General Hospitality

One of the most consistently praised features of The Homestead Lodge is its hospitality and amenities. Across numerous accounts, guests describe the food as excellent, with special mention of the delicious desserts prepared by Mariah. The lodge itself is reported to be clean and well-kept, providing a comfortable environment after a day in the wilderness. Jess Walker, a repeat visitor for snowmobiling, notes that the hospitality is "second to none" and praises the Soucy family for their hard work in creating a first-class stay. This sentiment is echoed by others who appreciate the pleasant and helpful nature of the owners and staff, creating a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere that accommodates even young children, as noted by one family who brought their eight-year-old son on a bear hunt.

A Hub for Year-Round Activities

The Homestead Lodge is not solely a hunting destination. Its strategic location makes it a prime spot for other forms of outdoor recreation. For snowmobilers, the lodge is situated directly on the 71A trail, which connects to a vast network of hundreds of miles of trails, making it an ideal base for winter adventures. The lodge supports this by offering gas and oil on-site, making it a convenient stop for riders. Beyond winter sports, guests have opportunities for morning fishing and can use a 3D archery range on the property. The business also operates as an RV park and campground, offering camper hookups for those who prefer to bring their own accommodations. The presence of an on-site bar with a liquor license adds another layer of convenience for guests looking to unwind.

Core Business: Guided Hunting Trips

The primary draw for many visitors is the lodge's extensive hunting packages. They offer guided hunting trips for a wide range of game, including black bear (over bait and with hounds), whitetail deer, moose, grouse, and even bison from their own preserve. The business promotes its guides as having over 50 years of combined experience and emphasizes their deep knowledge of the local terrain and wildlife. This expertise is intended to provide clients with a high chance of success on their hunt.

Reports of Successful and Positive Hunting Experiences

Several clients have reported highly successful and memorable hunts organized by the lodge. Elizabeth Rosado's family, for instance, participated in a hound hunt for bear and successfully harvested two animals. She praised the family's professionalism, hard work, and knowledge, viewing them as a standout business. Similarly, Thomas Bungay's family trip resulted in two members of his party getting bears. He highlighted the staff's dedication to helping clients succeed and commended the excellent, vacuum-sealed butchering service that made transporting the meat home easy. These positive testimonials suggest that The Homestead Lodge has the capacity to deliver the rewarding outdoor adventure it promises, creating loyal customers who plan to return.

Significant Criticisms and Operational Concerns

Despite the positive outcomes for some, other reports paint a troubling picture of the hunting operations, raising questions that potential customers should seriously consider. A recurring theme in negative feedback is a feeling of being a number rather than a valued client, particularly as the business seems to have grown.

Charley Roman, a returning customer, detailed a bait hunt that was fraught with issues. His primary complaint was that the lodge overbooked the week, admitting 22 hunters when, according to the owner's apology, they were overbooked by five people. This alleged overbooking had direct consequences on the quality of the hunt. Roman's group was placed on bait sites that showed no signs of bear activity and, crucially, were not monitored by game cameras—a practice he notes the lodge has stopped. This left hunters sitting for a week at inactive sites. Furthermore, he questioned why, with a claimed 125 bait sites, hunters in the second week were placed at locations where another hunter had already shot and missed a bear the week prior. The result for his week was a starkly low success rate, with only 3 out of 22 hunters harvesting a bear. This experience left him feeling that the focus had shifted from client care to maximizing profit.

Another severe criticism comes from a hunter named Chris, who has extensive hunting experience across the U.S. and Africa. While he found the food and lodging to be good, his hunting experience was, in his words, the "worst I've had." His main issue was with the perceived lack of focus on trophy-quality animals. He felt the priority was simply to get a kill, regardless of size. This concern was crystallized in a specific, troubling incident where a guide allegedly insisted that his brother shoot a second, very small bear cub from a tree, claiming it was a "rule" that both had to be taken. The owner, Scott, later admitted this was not a policy and was a mistake, but reportedly offered no form of compensation or resolution. This incident raises serious ethical questions and is a major red flag for hunters seeking a quality, mature animal.

Conclusion: A Tale of Two Experiences

The Homestead Lodge in Oxbow, ME, is a business of contrasts. On one hand, it offers clean accommodations, highly-rated food, and a friendly, family-run atmosphere that excels in hospitality. Its location and amenities make it an excellent choice for snowmobilers and those seeking general outdoor recreation. As a tourism company, it has successfully provided some hunters with positive, memorable, and successful vacation packages.

On the other hand, serious prospective hunters must weigh the significant and detailed criticisms. The allegations of overbooking, poor site management, abandonment of industry-standard tools like game cameras, and ethical lapses regarding animal selection are substantial. While some hunters leave with a trophy and a great story, others leave with an empty tag and the feeling of being just another source of income. The experience at The Homestead Lodge seems to vary dramatically, suggesting that while it can provide a top-tier adventure, there is also a considerable risk of a deeply disappointing one.