The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized a rule that eliminates protective hunting restrictions in Alaska established in 2015 by the Obama administration.
The 2015 rule aimed to protect wildlife on Alaska's national preserves by banning hunting methods otherwise approved by the state. Such practices that will again be permitted include: luring hibernating bears with doughnuts, grease-soaked bread, and other junk foods; using dogs to hunt black bears; using artificial light to enter wolf dens to kill mothers and pups; and targeting certain animals from boats, airplanes, and snowmobiles.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Alaska officials in support of the rollback said the 2015 regulation "infringed on traditional native hunting practices and were more restrictive than what is permitted on state land," reports The Washington Post. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) said, "This is a step towards acknowledging Alaska's rightful control over fish and wildlife resources all across the state."
But Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, disagrees. "Shooting hibernating mama and baby bears is not the conservation legacy that our national parks are meant to preserve and no way to treat or manage park wildlife," she told the Post.
The new rule could have physiological consequences for the animals, Gizmodo reports, as baiting bears with junk food may cause them to hibernate less. Increased hunting of predators including bears and wolves could throw off the balance of the ecosystem, too.
-
Has ‘poppy politics’ got out of hand?Talking Point ‘Toxic’ debate over red and white poppies is another front in the culture wars
-
Vladimir Putin’s ‘nuclear tsunami’ missileIn The Spotlight Russian president has boasted that there is no way to intercept the new weapon
-
Codeword: November 11, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
USDA orders states to ‘undo’ full SNAP paymentsSpeed Read The Trump administration is telling states not to pay full November food stamp benefits
-
Senate takes first step to end record shutdownSpeed Read Eight senators in the Democratic caucus voted with Republicans to advance legislation to reopen the government
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
