Opinion
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.
It matches the author’s description of it being his fourth year at Hornsund Fiord, starting in 1967-68, when he was about 21. His last overwinter at Hornsund Fiord appears to have been 1971-1972. Polar bear hunting in the Svalbard Archipelago was outlawed in 1973.
The book is a very well-written, non-fiction account of adventure and survival. It is a page-turner that captured this writer for several hours. At least five instances are documented of Ivar Ruud shooting polar bears as they charged him. Two of those were while hunting the bears. The other three were from bears hunting Ivar, or at minimum, investigating Ruud as potential food. When a polar bear is attempting to enter your cabin with you inside, it is a serious threat.
This is a wonderful book for those interested in factual accounts of survival, hunting, and adventure. Ivar would be about 78 today. An online source says he became a successful real estate agent in Southern California.
Of particular interest to this correspondent, the incidents in the book are not well matched with entries in the Polar Bear Human-Information Management System (PBHIMS).
The database includes one predatory attack while Ruud was in a tiny cabin and one charge while Ruud was actively hunting polar bears. It does not include a predatory incident where Ruud was not hunting polar bears and had to shoot one at close range, under 15 feet, in the polar night while on a trail. Or another incident where a polar bear was shot charging at him when he was on top of a cabin and the bear was only a few feet away.
This correspondent suspects that many attempts by polar bears to prey on humans were stopped because the humans were armed. The vast majority of those were never recorded or published. If anyone knows if Ivar Ruud is alive or available, this correspondent would love to interview him.
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Girsan Influencer MC1911 10mm 5" Handgun 9rds, Black Camo - 391158 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 670.99 |
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Girsan Influencer MC1911 10mm 5" Handgun 9rds, Black Camo - 391158 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 670.99 |
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Girsan MC1911S Liberador II 9mm 5" 9rd Handgun, Stainless/Gold - 391053 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 879.99 $ 791.99 |
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Girsan MC1911S Liberador II 9mm 5" 9rd Handgun, Stainless/Gold - 391053 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 1070.99 $ 791.99 |
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About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Interesting article.
I see listing’s for 9mm Luger pistols and 10mm Auto pistols at the end of the article.
How come no mention of Wildey pistols in 475 Wildey and 45 Win. Mag,
and Desert Ezgle in 44 Magnum and 50 Action? These would be good sidearms for protection against big bears.
And no mention of revolvers chambered in 41 Mag., 44 Mag., 454 Casull, 460 S&W, 480 Ruger, 500 S&W?
The first day I arrived In Barrow AK, for work. My boss met me at the plane. After getting my gear loaded in the truck and we headed out, the first thing he said to me was, there are polars here. I said yeah…..He said do not exit a truck, building or go anywhere without carefully looking around for the bears…….They will eat you.
I would love to read an interview of Ivan Rudd. Definitely hope you can find him so we can hear more of his story. The timeframe of his hunting in the Artic would be when I was in high school. Definitely a different time back then.
My question is: what did he shoot these polar bears with? How much rifle is necessary? Is there a handgun capable of stopping one?
Pardon me if these are dumb questions. I just don’t know but I’d like to.