"The National Park Service is reviving a practice that was banned by the Biden administration and condemned by conservationists."
"Hunters on some public lands in Alaska will be allowed to bait bears with doughnuts soaked in bacon grease before shooting them at close range, under a rule the Trump administration released Friday.
The final rule from the National Park Service revived a hunting method that the Biden administration banned in 2024 across millions of acres of Alaska wilderness. It also rekindled a long-running debate between hunters and conservationists.
Some hunters prefer to use strong-smelling, high-calorie foods like pastries, doughnuts, meat scraps or fish remains to lure bears from miles away. But some conservationists say the practice is unethical and risks making the bears accustomed to human food, which could endanger people."
Maxine Joselow reports for the New York Times October 16, 2026.
