Bear baiting, other sport hunting practices, may be banned for Alaska national preserves
Bear baiting was banned until 2020 in Alaska’s National Preserves, but recently proposed regulations want to reverse rule
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The National Park Service announced Friday a proposal to amend regulations for hunting and trapping on national preserves in Alaska.
These proposed regulations would eliminate several controversial sport hunting practices, including bear baiting. Bear baiting is the practice of leaving food or other items to attract bears to allow hunters to harvest bears. Prior to 2020, the practice was banned in Alaska’s National Preserves, but the recently proposed regulations want to reverse that 2020 rule.
Sharon Stiteler, the public affairs officer for the Alaska Region, says their primary concern with bear baiting is public safety.
“The bait that’s used for baiting grizzlies — it’s not natural — so there’s concern having these sites on preserves that bears could get habituated to this food and that poses a great risk to visitors in our national lands,” Stiteler said.
Stiteler explained that if there are changes to the 2020 hunting and trapping regulations, it would impact all national preserves in Alaska.
“We’re looking at several hunting tactics that were shifted in 2020 and we want to be more in line with state hunting restrictions, and again we don’t know what these final changes are going to be until we hear from the public,” Stiteler said.
She says the proposed changes also look at hunting cubs and sows in dens as well as bear baiting.
“The national park service received 70,000 pieces of correspondence on the 2015 rule, and more than 200,000 comments on the 2020 rule, and the vast majority of those 200,000 comments objected to allowing some of these practices in regards to sports hunting,” she said.
The regulations are open for public comment until March 10.
“This affects everybody,” Stiteler said. “It affects the (Alaskan Natives), it affects public safety, so we really want to make sure we have public input before the final decision is made.”
Stiteler emphasized these proposed changes will not impact subsistence hunting.
Residents can submit public comment in regards to changing the wildlife rule in Alaska on the government regulations site.
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