Alaska hunters can use food lures on federal lands starting Nov. 12

Starting November 12, hunters on federal lands in Alaska may place food lures to attract bears. The United States Department of Interior published the new rule in the Federal Register on Friday. It takes effect in mid-November and replaces a 2024 regulation from the Biden administration that had prohibited the practice.

The rule allows the use of human foods such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps. Hunters typically use these items to lure trophy animals close enough for a shot. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, stated that hunters generally select the cheapest and most effective food available. He noted that this usually means high-fat and high-sugar options.

According to Arrivo, the standard procedure involves placing the food in a steel drum or garbage can. Hunters then keep watch over the setup and shoot the bear at short range from a nearby blind. The federal rule does not specify which foods are allowed. Instead, it defers to state regulations, which currently permit baiting.

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

Critics argue the method makes bears more aggressive around people. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, described the baiting provision as cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public. His group called the new measure indefensible and inexcusable. Robertson said the practice is more extreme than traditional hunting methods and that many hunters would not view it as a fair chase.

The issue has a complex legal history. Barack Obama's administration first imposed a ban on the practice. The first Trump administration reversed it, but litigation later upheld the Obama rule. The Biden administration reinstated the ban in 2024, citing science that indicates baiting endangers park visitors. Arrivo rejected the idea that the new rule gives the state appropriate control, noting 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.

The change is part of a series of recent moves by federal and Alaska 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. While bear baiting is not unique to Alaska, about a dozen other states allow similar practices. No decision has been made on a lawsuit challenging the new rule, but Arrivo noted that scrapping the 2024 rule raises questions about the legality of the current measure.