Alaska Federal Lands: Bear Baiting Resumes November 12

Hunters may legally use human food to attract bears on federal lands in Alaska starting November 12. The Department of the Interior published the final rule in the Federal Register on Friday, replacing a 2024 regulation that prohibited the practice. The new framework permits the use of lures such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps to help hunters kill trophy animals at close range.

The rule does not specify which foods hunters may use. Instead, it defers to state regulations, which generally allow baiting. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, stated that hunters typically select high-fat, high-sugar items because they are cheap and effective. The standard procedure involves placing food in a steel drum or garbage can, monitoring the site, and shooting the bear from a short distance in a blind.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the change in a press release, stating it responds to demands from Alaska residents. He described the measure as a commonsense framework that gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting their lands, wildlife, and traditions. The rule follows an executive order signed early in Donald Trump’s second administration titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential.

Critics argue the decision favors trophy hunters over public safety and scientific consensus. Drew Robertson, senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, called the provision cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public. He noted that the method is more extreme than traditional hunting and that many hunters would not consider it a fair chase. Environmental groups have labeled the new measure indefensible and inexcusable.

The policy shift continues a long legal battle over bear management in Alaska. The Obama administration first banned baiting, a move the first Trump administration reversed. Courts upheld the original ban and overturned the first reversal. The Biden administration reinstated the prohibition in 2024, citing science indicating that baiting increases bear aggression and endangers park visitors. The new rule allows other contested methods to continue, including shooting bears from helicopters and using artificial lights to draw them from dens.

Arrivo challenged the legal basis of the new rule, noting that Congress created the federal land program to place decision-making power with the federal government. He argued that deferring to state control is anathema to federal land management goals of preserving wildlife diversity. Although no lawsuit has been filed yet, he stated that the rapid reversal of the 2024 rule, which underwent a rigorous scientific process, raises questions about its legality.