Bacon and doughnuts return to Alaskan federal lands for bear hunting

The US Interior Department has published a new rule that permits hunters to bait bears with human food on federal lands in Alaska. The regulation takes effect in mid-November and replaces a 2024 rule from the Biden administration that prohibited the practice.

The new policy defers to state regulations, which currently allow baiting. This means hunters can use items such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps to attract bears. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, noted that hunters typically select high-fat and high-sugar foods because they are cheap and effective. The method involves placing food in a steel drum or garbage can, watching it from a blind, and shooting the bear at close range.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a press release stating the rule responds to requests from Alaska residents. He described the measure as a commonsense framework that gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions about their lands and wildlife traditions. The rule stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump early in his second administration, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential.

Opponents argue the change favors trophy hunters and increases the risk of bear aggression 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. He stated that many hunters would not view the practice as a fair chase. Environmental groups have labeled the new measure indefensible and inexcusable.

The issue has a long history of legal and political reversals. The Obama administration first banned baiting, a move the first Trump administration reversed. Courts upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule. The Biden administration reinstated the ban in 2024, citing science that indicates baiting makes bears more aggressive and endangers park visitors.

Arrivo challenged the idea that the new rule gives the state appropriate control. He pointed out 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. Arrivo also questioned the legality of the new rule, noting that the 2024 rule went through a more robust scientific process.

The change follows other recent moves by Alaska and federal officials to permit contested hunting methods. 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. About a dozen states currently allow similar bear baiting practices.