12: The date Alaska federal forests reopen for bear baiting

The Interior Department finalized a rule on Friday that allows hunters to lure bears with human food on federal lands in Alaska. The change takes effect on November 12, ending a ban that had been in place since 2024. Hunters will be permitted to use items such as bacon, doughnuts, and meat scraps to draw trophy animals into close range for a shot.

The practice has a history of political and legal back-and-forth. President Barack Obama's administration first imposed a ban, which the first Trump administration reversed. Litigation later upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule. President Joe Biden's administration reinstated the ban in 2024, citing scientific evidence that baiting makes bears more aggressive and endangers park visitors.

The new rule stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump early in his second administration titled Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential. The order directed the reissuance of the rule. Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, argued that the directive points to a political motive rather than careful consideration. He called the provision cruel and dangerous to both wildlife and the public.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the measure in a press release, stating it responds to demands from Alaska residents. He described the rule as a commonsense framework that gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands, wildlife, and traditions they know best. The rule does not name specific foods, deferring instead to state regulations that already permit baiting.

Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, noted that hunters generally choose the cheapest and most effective food, which is high in fat and sugar. He explained that hunters usually place the food in a steel drum or garbage can, keep watch over it, and then shoot the bear at short range from a nearby blind. Arrivo rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control, noting that the lands are federal and Congress created the program to place decision-making power with the federal government.

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 allow similar baiting practices, though more states do not. Environmental groups have called the new measure indefensible and inexcusable.

No decision has been made on a lawsuit challenging the rule. Arrivo said scrapping the 2024 rule, which went through a more robust scientific process, raises questions about the legality of the new measure. The rule is now in effect for the upcoming hunting season.