The Year-Long Day: One Man’s Arctic by A.E. Maxwell & Ivar Ruud ~ Dangerous Polar Bears

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Posted on 01/04/2025 5:41:13 AM PST by marktwain

The Year-Long Day is a factual account of an overwinter in the Svalbard Archipelago, trapping foxes and hunting polar bears. It was published in 1976 and is a fascinating true story of survival and adventure.

In the Arctic winter of 1970 to 1971, a trapper/hunter in the Svalbard Archipelago had to protect himself several times with gunfire from polar bears.

This is not particularly unusual. It was unusual for Ivar Ruud to keep a detailed diary, make a movie, and have a book published about his experiences. Most arctic trappers and hunters do not keep detailed diaries, make movies, and write books. Ruud had an older partner, Fredrick Rubach. In their first year together, they harvested over fifty polar bears.  After the first year, they moved into separate cabins about 15 miles apart along the coast. They would only see each other when they were dropped off, at Christmas, and when picked up in the summer.

The Year-Long Day: One Man’s Arctic

While researching defenses against bears in the Arctic, this correspondent found the account of Ivar Ruud referenced in the Polar Bear Human-Information Management System (PBHIMS) data base. The PBHIMS was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by AmmoLand. Used copies of The Year-Long Day are sometimes available on ABE Books or Ebay. My copy was found in very good condition for $25 and shipping. The book is fast-paced. It mentions enough of the daily grind to inform the reader but is successful as adventure storytelling.

According to this source, the year of the account is apparently 1970-1971.

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...

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At lest four polar bears were shot in self defense, by the one trapper, in the one year.

1 posted on 01/04/2025 5:41:13 AM PST by marktwain

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