Alaska Federal Lands Allow Bear Baiting Again

Hunters operating on federal lands in Alaska may begin luring bears with human food in mid-November. The United States Department of the Interior published the final rule in the Federal Register on Friday, October 23. The new policy takes effect in mid-November and replaces a 2024 restriction that prohibited the practice.

The rule does not specify which foods hunters may use. Instead, it defers to state regulations that already permit baiting. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, stated that hunters typically select high-fat and high-sugar items because they are cheap and effective. Common lures include bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps. Arrivo described the process as hunters placing food in a steel drum or garbage can, monitoring the site, and shooting the bear at short range from a blind.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the administration is responding to requests from local residents. In a press release, he characterized the rule as a commonsense framework. He stated that the measure gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands, wildlife, and traditions they know best.

Conservation groups opposed the change before it was finalized. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, called the baiting provision cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public. Robertson noted that his organization was dismayed by the rule's return. He described the practice as more extreme than traditional hunting and suggested that many hunters would not view it as a fair chase.

The new rule reverses a decision made during the Biden administration. That 2024 rule banned baiting after scientific findings indicated the practice makes bears more aggressive around people. Such aggression can endanger park visitors. The history of bear baiting rules on federal lands includes a ban imposed by the Obama administration, a reversal by the first Trump administration, and subsequent litigation that upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule.

This change follows other recent actions by federal and Alaska officials to allow contested hunting methods. Recent approvals include shooting bears from helicopters, killing swimming caribou from motor boats, killing wolf pups in their dens, and using artificial lights to draw bears out of dens. Approximately a dozen other states allow similar bear baiting practices, though many others do not.

The rule stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump early in his second administration. The order, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential, directed the rule to be reissued. Robertson argued that this directive points to a political motive rather than careful consideration. Environmental groups have called the new measure indefensible and inexcusable.

Arrivo rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control over federal land. He noted that Congress created the federal land program to place decision-making power with the federal government. He stated that the approach is anathema to federal land management goals of preserving wildlife diversity. No lawsuit has been decided yet, but Arrivo said scrapping the 2024 rule raises questions about the legality of the current measure.