A new Trump administration rule allows hunters to bait bears on federal lands in Alaska with bacon, doughnuts, meat scraps or other human foods. The food is used to draw trophy animals close enough to be killed at short range 1. The rule replaces a 2024 Biden administration rule that banned the practice 1.
The Interior Department published the rule in the Federal Register on Friday. It takes effect in mid-November 1.
What the rule does
The federal rule does not list which foods are allowed. It defers to Alaska's state rules, which permit baiting 1. Nicholas Arrivo, a managing attorney at Animal Protection Law, said hunters typically use "the cheapest and most effective food, which is high fat and high sugar" 1.
Hunters usually put the food in a steel drum or garbage can and watch it. They then wait in a nearby blind and shoot the bear at short range, Arrivo said 1.
From Channel GOPTrump says he alone decides who gets paidDonald Trump · 135 plays · captioned, with the source named
Alaska Public Media reported that the change covers Alaska's national preserves, which are part of the National Park Service system. It named Denali, Katmai and Gates of the Arctic as examples. The baiting allowance applies only to sport hunting 2.
Who said what
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release that the rule was developed in response to demands from Alaska residents 1. He called it a "commonsense framework and gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands, wildlife and traditions they know best" 1.
commonsense framework and gives Alaskans a stronger voice in decisions affecting the lands, wildlife and traditions they know best
Opponents say the practice makes bears more aggressive around people 1. Drew Robertson of Humane World for Animals said he was discouraged to see the rule return 1. Jim Adams of the National Parks Conservation Association called the rule "outrageous" 2.
baffling and counter to the mission of the Park Service
A long back-and-forth
The ban has changed hands several times. The Obama administration first put it in place, and the first Trump administration undid it. Litigation upheld the Obama rule and overturned the Trump rule 1. The Biden administration restored the ban in 2024, largely because science shows baiting makes bears more aggressive and puts park visitors at risk 1.
This rule came at the direction of President Trump. His executive order "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential," issued early in his second term, told agencies to reissue it 1. Robertson said that points to a political motive, not "careful consideration" 1.
What happens next
No decision has been made yet on a lawsuit. Arrivo said that scrapping the 2024 rule, which went through a more thorough scientific review, "doesn't smell right and raises questions about the legality of this rule" 1. He also argued that Congress gave decision-making power over federal land to the federal government, not to the states 1.
The baiting rule is part of a wider pattern. Alaska and federal officials have in recent years allowed sport hunters to shoot bears from helicopters, shoot swimming caribou from motor boats, and kill wolf pups in their dens 1. About a dozen states allow similar baiting, but more do not 1. This brief draws only on the two cited reports. Neither included comment from a Democratic official.
The Record
Sources
- The Guardian, “New Trump rule allows hunters to bait bears in Alaska with doughnuts, bacon and more” (2026-10-24). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/24/trump-administration-ala
- Alaska Public Media, “Trump administration moves to reopen Alaska national preserves to bear baiting by sport hunters” (2026-10-19). alaskapublic.org/news/environment/2026-10-19/trump-administr
Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.
