Alaska federal lands open to bear baiting in mid-November

The U.S. Department of Interior published a new rule in the federal register on Friday, October 23, 2026. The regulation takes effect in mid-November. It permits hunters to use bait to lure bears on federal lands in Alaska. The rule reverses a 2024 policy from the Biden administration that had prohibited the practice.

The new regulation does not list specific foods. Instead, it defers to state regulations. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, said hunters typically select the cheapest and most effective options. He described these as high-fat and high-sugar items. Hunters place the food in steel drums or garbage cans. They keep watch over the bait and shoot the bear from a blind at short range.

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

Drew Robertson, a senior regulatory specialist for Humane World for Animals, called the provision cruel and dangerous. He said the practice is not only harmful to wildlife but also to the public. Robertson described the method as more extreme than traditional hunting. He noted that many hunters would not view baiting as a fair chase. Environmental groups have labeled the new measure indefensible and inexcusable.

The rule follows a series of recent moves by federal and state officials to allow contested hunting methods. These changes include shooting bears from helicopters and shooting swimming caribou from motor boats. Officials also permit killing wolf pups in their dens and using artificial lights to draw bears from dens. About a dozen states already allow similar bear baiting practices.

The issue has a long history. The Obama administration first imposed a ban, and the first Trump administration reversed it. Litigation upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule. The Biden administration reinstated the ban in 2024. Science indicates baiting makes bears more aggressive around people. This behavior endangers park visitors.

Arrivo rejected the argument that the rule gives the state appropriate control. He noted that the lands are federal. 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. No decision has been made on a lawsuit regarding the rule.