Alaska Hunters May Use Human Food to Lure Bears on Federal Lands

The Trump administration has finalized a rule allowing hunters to lure bears with human food on federal lands in Alaska, a change that takes effect in mid-November and replaces a 2024 ban.

The US Department of the Interior published the measure in the federal register on Friday. The new regulation defers to state laws, which generally permit baiting, rather than specifying particular foods. In practice, hunters often use high fat and high sugar items such as bacon, doughnuts, or meat scraps. These are typically placed in steel drums or garbage cans to attract bears at close range for shooting from blinds.

Interior secretary Doug Burgum framed the policy as a response to local needs. In a press release, he described the move as a commonsense framework that provides Alaskans with a stronger voice in managing the lands and wildlife traditions they know best. The department stated the rule aims to align federal management with the preferences of state residents who hunt in the region.

Environmental groups and legal experts have pushed back against the shift. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, expressed dismay at the return of the practice. He characterized the baiting provision as cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public. Robertson argued that the method is more extreme than traditional hunting and that many hunters would not consider it a fair chase.

Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, noted that the rule creates a disconnect in federal land management. He rejected the idea that deferring to state control is appropriate, pointing out that Congress established the federal land program to keep decision-making power with the federal government. Arrivo stated that the approach is anathema to goals of preserving wildlife diversity and suggested that the rapid reversal raises questions about the rule's legality, especially since no lawsuit has been filed yet.

The policy stems from an executive order signed by Donald Trump early in his second term, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential. Robertson argued that the order directed the rule to be reissued, suggesting a political motive rather than a careful scientific review. This change follows a series of recent moves by federal and state officials to permit contested hunting methods, including shooting bears from helicopters, killing swimming caribou from motor boats, and using artificial lights to draw bears from dens.

The history of bear baiting rules in Alaska has been contentious for years. The Obama administration first imposed a ban, which the first Trump administration reversed. Courts upheld the Obama rule and struck down the initial Trump rule. The Biden administration then reinstated the ban in 2024, largely because scientific evidence indicated that baiting makes bears more aggressive and endangers park visitors. About a dozen other states allow similar practices, though more states do not.

Opponents warn that allowing hunters to use human food will leave bears more aggressive around people. They describe the new measure as a political favor to trophy hunters who seek close range kills. The rule highlights ongoing tensions between federal land managers, state hunters, and conservation groups over how wildlife should be managed on public lands.