Alaska Hunters Can Now Lure Bears With Bacon on Federal Land

The US interior department has finalized a rule permitting hunters to use human food, such as bacon and doughnuts, to attract bears on federal lands in Alaska. The regulation takes effect in mid-November 2026, officially ending the prohibition that was in place since 2024. This change allows for a hunting style where animals are lured to a specific location and shot at close range, a method that opponents argue increases bear aggression near humans.

The rule was published in the federal register on Friday, October 24. It supersedes a 2024 order from the Biden administration that banned baiting. The shift follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in early 2025, titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential, which directed the reissuance of the rule. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist at Humane World for Animals, stated that the organization was dismayed by the return of the practice. He described the baiting provision as "cruel and dangerous, not only to wildlife but the public as well."

The new regulation does not list specific types of bait. Instead, it defers to state regulations, which currently allow the practice. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, explained that hunters typically use high fat and high sugar foods because they are cheap and effective. He noted that the standard procedure involves placing food in a steel drum or garbage can, observing the area, and shooting the bear from a nearby blind at short range. Arrivo argued that the approach is "anathema to federal land management goals" of preserving wildlife diversity, since Congress created the federal land program to keep decision-making power with the federal government.

Interior secretary Doug Burgum defended the rule in a press release, stating that it responds to demands from Alaska residents. He called it a "commonsense framework" that gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands and wildlife they know. The department emphasized that this change aligns with other recent moves by federal and state officials to permit contested hunting methods. These recent actions include allowing hunters to shoot bears from helicopters, kill wolf pups in their dens, and use artificial lights to draw bears out of dens.

Critics, including Robertson, argue that baiting is a more extreme practice than traditional hunting. He noted that many hunters would not view this as a fair chase. The issue has a long legal history. The Obama administration first imposed a ban, which the first Trump administration reversed. Courts upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule. The Biden administration reinstated the ban in 2024, citing scientific evidence that baiting makes bears more aggressive and endangers park visitors.

The new rule allows for baiting on about a dozen states that permit similar practices, though more states do not. Arrivo said that scrapping the 2024 rule, which went through a more robust scientific process, raises questions about the legality of the new measure. He rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control, noting that the lands are federal. No decision has been made on a lawsuit challenging the rule, but Arrivo said the change "doesn't smell right."

The rule takes effect in mid-November 2026. It will apply to federal lands in Alaska where bear hunting is permitted. The change follows a pattern of recent regulatory shifts in the region aimed at expanding hunting options. The department has not announced any new restrictions on the types of food used or the distance hunters must maintain from the bait.