Alaska federal lands allow bear baiting starting November 12

Hunters in Alaska can now lure bears onto federal lands using human foods such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps beginning in mid-November. The US Interior Department published the rule in the federal register on Friday, setting a start date of November 12. This change reverses a 2024 ban enacted during the Biden administration, which had prohibited the practice on public lands.

The new rule does not list specific items that hunters may use. Instead, it defers to state regulations, which already permit baiting. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, said hunters generally select the cheapest and most effective food, which is high in fat and sugar. He explained that the typical process involves placing the food in a steel drum or garbage can, keeping watch over it, and then shooting the bear at short range from a nearby blind.

Interior secretary Doug Burgum defended the move in 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. Burgum argued that the policy restores local input into federal land management.

Critics argue the practice increases the risk of bears becoming aggressive around people. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, called the baiting provision cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public. His group, Humane World for Animals, described the new measure as indefensible and inexcusable in a statement.

The rule stems from an executive order signed by Donald Trump early in his second administration. The order, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential, directed the reissuance of the rule. Robertson suggested this points to a political motive rather than careful scientific consideration. He noted that the method is a more extreme practice than traditional hunting, and many hunters would not see it as a fair chase.

Arrivo rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control, noting that the lands are federal. He said Congress created the federal land program to place decision-making power with the federal government, and that the approach is anathema to federal land management goals of preserving wildlife diversity. Although no decision has been made on a lawsuit, Arrivo said scrapping the 2024 rule, which went through a more robust scientific process, raises questions about the legality of the new measure.

The change follows other recent moves by federal officials to permit contested hunting methods in Alaska. These include shooting bears from helicopters, shooting swimming caribou from motor boats, killing wolf pups in their dens, and using artificial lights to draw bears out of dens. Bear baiting itself is not unusual, as about a dozen states allow similar practices, though more states do not.