Hunters can now use food to lure bears on federal land in Alaska

A dozen states currently allow similar practices, but the new rule now extends the permission to use food as bait on federal lands in Alaska. The regulation was published in the federal register on Friday and is scheduled to take effect in mid-November. This change replaces a 2024 rule from the Biden administration that had previously prohibited the practice. The new measure has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, who have labeled the move indefensible and inexcusable.

The core of the new rule allows hunters to lure bears with human food items such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps. The primary goal of this method is to enable hunters to take trophy animals at close range. Critics argue that this approach will make bears more aggressive around people, while supporters view it as a restoration of traditional hunting rights. The rule does not list specific foods by name. Instead, it defers to state regulations, which already permit baiting. According to Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, hunters typically select the cheapest and most effective food, which is often high in fat and sugar.

The mechanics of the hunt involve placing the food in a steel drum or garbage can. Hunters then keep watch over the bait and shoot the bear at short range from a nearby blind. This method has raised questions about the spirit of sport hunting. Drew Robertson, senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, noted that this is a more extreme practice than many people associate with hunting traditions. He stated that many hunters would not see this as a fair chase.

Interior secretary Doug Burgum issued a press release stating that the rule responds to demands from Alaska residents. He described the measure as a commonsense framework that gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands, wildlife, and traditions they know best. Robertson, however, expressed dismay at the return of the rule. He called the baiting provision cruel and dangerous, not only to wildlife but to the public as well.

This development follows other recent moves by Alaska and federal officials to permit contested hunting methods. These recent actions include allowing hunters to shoot bears from helicopters, shoot swimming caribou from motor boats, kill wolf pups in their dens, and use artificial lights to draw bears out of dens. While bear baiting itself is not unusual in many parts of the country, the shift in policy on federal lands marks a significant change in how these areas are managed.

The change stems from an executive order signed by Donald Trump early in his second administration, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential. Robertson argued that because the order directed the rule to be reissued, it points to a political motive rather than careful consideration. He described the move as a political favor to trophy hunters. The issue has a long and contentious history. Barack Obama's administration first imposed a ban, and the first Trump administration reversed it.

Litigation later upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule. The Biden administration reinstated the ban in 2024, largely because science indicates baiting makes bears more aggressive and endangers park visitors. The new rule effectively rolls back this scientific stance in favor of state-level deference. This shift has created a complex legal landscape for wildlife management in the state.

Arrivo rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control. He noted that the lands are federal and that Congress created the federal land program to place decision-making power with the federal government. He said the approach is anathema to federal land management goals of preserving wildlife diversity. No decision has been made on a lawsuit, but he said scrapping the 2024 rule, which went through a more robust scientific process, doesn't smell right and raises questions about the legality of this rule.