Don’t Feed the Bears Act
H.R. 1472

Sponsors: Representatives James Moran (D-VA) and Elton Gallegly (R-CA); Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

NM co-sponsors: Rep. Tom Udall

APV position: SUPPORT

Bill Status: Hearing held by House Resources Committee

What the law would do: This bill will require the adoption and enforcement of regulations to prohibit the intentional feeding of bears on Federal public lands in order to end the hunting practice known as ‘‘bear baiting’’ and reduce the number of dangerous interactions between people and bears.

Why it is needed: Bear baiting involved luring bears with huge piles of human food scraps, rotting fruits and meats, and even carcasses of other animals and then shooting them. It has been called akin to shooting fish in a barrel and is unpopular with hunters and non-hunters alike. Federal and state wildlife managers agree that feeding of bears by humans is a dangerous practice for bears and people.

Yet, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management allow bear baiting to occur on federal land located in states where the activity is legal. Only nine of the 27 states with legal bear hunts allow baiting. For once, this is a list New Mexico isn’t on!
NM Department of Fish and Game banned bear baiting many years ago.

New Mexico just enacted a law that allows the Department of Game and Fish to designate areas where bear-proof trash containers will be required. Biologists and lawmakers know that trash means trouble—once bears develop a taste for human food they are more likely to cause property damage and injure people. This was a common-sense solution to preventing bear-human conflict. Putting a stop to baiting is another. There is no difference between a pile of trash and a pile of bait.

Federal land management agencies caution campers, picnickers and others to pack out all trash including leftover food, to "Leave No Trace." Now it is time that they demand the same of bear hunters.