Ax Men

Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, rugged men make their living doing one of the deadliest jobs in the world... logging. Their mission is to retrieve timber perched on mountainsides too steep to access with machines, but it's no easy task. Plagued by mechanical failures, relentless weather, and unpredictable terrain, these brave men risk their lives retrieving the timber with which we built our country. Meet four companies trying to survive each day. Pihl Logging--a rag-tag group of loggers based in Vernonia, Oregon. Gustafson Logging--a close-knit crew working one of the most dangerous jobs in the region. J.M. Browning--the best of the best. Stump Branch Logging--the young guns with a lot to prove. These are the Ax Men.

Just days into the fall logging season, the Ax Men are already being put to the test. J.M. Browning races to meet a big deadline. Stump Branch Logging tempts fate by jury-rigging their old equipment. The Gustafson Company races mother nature as they attempt to build a road to access their logging site. Father teaches son the lessons of logging as the men of the Pihl Company haul in the forest's cash crop.

As a storm closes in on the Oregon coast, the Ax Men race to stay one step ahead. Jesse continues to push the J.M. Browning crew to meet its looming deadline, while muddy roads trap trucks on their way to the Stump Branch site. Robby battles for control of the Gustafson crew. Pihl Logging feels the effects of the slumping lumber market.

Across Northwest Oregon, the Ax Men continue to grind it out. Storm season arrived with a vengeance--shutting some crews down while others struggled to stay afloat. Now a bigger storm is brewing. The stalled housing market's effects are hitting the Ax Men hard. Jobs will be shut down; men will be put out of work. This week, the housing market hits home.

The loggers of the Pacific Northwest perform what is said to be North America's most dangerous job. Watch as the men react to news of upcoming layoffs. Gustafson Logging tries to get back on track, Browning Logging races to meet a big deadline and Pihl Logging needs to finish the Pig Farm Job. Despite Melvin's best efforts to keep up with his old equipment, Stump Branch Logging loses one of its most important machines.

Logging has been called North America's most dangerous job. Logging giants throughout Oregon are falling. Two of the biggest--J.M. Browning and Gustafson Logging--are fighting to survive. Jay Browning, usually flush with lucrative deals, is forced to make tough decisions. Gustafson Logging is down but not out. Smaller outfits, like Stump Branch and Pihl, find winning strategies in their young leaders.

J.M. Browning and Pihl Logging are joined by two new teams of newcomers, Rygaard Logging and S&S Aqua Logging, in a race to see which team can cut down the most timber in the year's most dangerous season.

After just starting the race, men from the groups begin quitting; Jay Browning's big financial gamble shows that it won't pay out; the Aqua Logging crew attempts to reel in what could be a once in a lifetime catch.

A helicopter logging company makes it's presence know in the competition; Dustin tries to convince his father into returning to Pihl Logging; a member of the Rygaard team must face his fear when he has to climb a 100-foot tall tree; Jimmy and James watch their prized log fall through their hands.

R&R Conner Aviation have to make a decision to either keep their workers safe or to amp up production; Jimmy and James battle a deadhead log known as "Moby Dick."

A member of the Rygaard crew fights to save his job; Jimmy heads into minefield laced waters; the pilot from R&R gets trapped in fog.

A helicopter is trapped when a fog rolls over a mountain; Jimmy's barge is threatened to be destroyed; and a crew of a downhill logging site faces challenges.

The third-season opener introduces new locations as crews begin work in the summer. In addition to sites in the Pacific Northwest, loggers will battle the terrain and heat of Florida and Louisiana.

Greenhorns are tested by Rygaard; Jay Browning hires a new yarder operator; and an argument brews between two members of the Pihl crew.

Jimmy and James arrive in Florida and realize that the challenges are tougher than they expected; Rygaard runs into problems when a cable snaps; and Browning learns that rapid production has a high price.

Mistakes at Browning threaten the safety of the loggers; the Rygaard greenhorns receive an ultimatum; Melvin and Leland compete for the yarder seat; and Jimmy has a dangerous first dive.

Melvin endangers other crew members with his recklessness; Jimmy has an encounter with an alligator; Shelby battles debris caused by Hurricane Katrina; and Jay Browning collapses while working.

Tempers erupt, especially among the Pihl loggers; Jay Browning suffers shock from an allergy; and a Rygaard greenhorn is let go.

The fourth season of Ax Men returns and this year, the stakes are higher than ever. Father-and-son team Craig and Gabe Rygaard are back to take down reigning top dog J.M. Browning... but newcomer Papac Logging is gunning for both of them. Braving a remote island off the coast of Alaska, these guys play by their own rules and will stop at nothing to conquer one of America's final frontiers. Pihl Logging also returns, this time with a secret weapon whose arrival shocks the entire crew. While the mountain's top dogs battle it out in the northwest... in the other corner of the country, the aqua loggers also return. Jimmy Smith is back to reclaim his son and challenge rival Collins to a Log-Off in the black waters of the Suwannee River, while swamp logger Shelby Stanga is on a mission to find an assistant in the backwoods of Louisiana. It's the start of the most explosive season yet in the race to get the country's green gold and get out alive.

Rygaard tries to tame two monsters at the same time--the super-juiced Mean Bean and the downhill site on which it's deployed. Pihl's greenhorn must prove herself to the crew but a deadly mistake could cost her everything. Jimmy encounters trouble on his way to the river. Shelby and his new assistant take drastic measures to unearth a monster log. And at Papac, tempers boil over, sending one man running for the hills.

On the edge of America's final frontier, it's every logger's worst nightmare: one of Papac's men has disappeared into thin air. Logging country is rattled to its core when logger Van Huffman goes missing in Alaska's remote wilderness. But when Papac's crew braves the harsh terrain and weather that batters Suemez Island, they find many reasons for concern and few for hope. Down south, the mountain's newbies are in hot water. At Pihl, Leah creates an upender that threatens the entire crew and at Rygaard, Dave's "work ethic" meets Craig's wrath. In Louisiana, Shelby messes with a lethal dose of TNT that could sink him and his swamp friends for good, while the Collins crew lands on the wrong end of a runaway boat.

At Papac Alaska, time is running out for missing logger Van Huffman. At Rygaard, Gabe gambles on a helicopter... and loses. At Pihl, rigging slinger Eric Davis is rushed to the hospital after a gruesome fall. In Louisiana, Shelby pulls an all-nighter to save his dog P* Willy. And in Florida, Collins puts the Smith boys in their place.

It's a battle for survival in logging country. In Bayou country, Shelby's nighttime mission brings him face-to-face with an alligator. In Florida, Jimmy and James push their luck to get one of the biggest logs in the Suwannee. At Rygaard, Dave goes down with an injury, while at Papac Alaska, the Colonel goes out in a blaze of glory. The tides are turning in logging country... and after tonight, nothing will be the same.

Logging country is turned upside down when one of the mountain's best bows out. At Papac, the men suffer under the reign of a new yarder operator. At Rygaard, it's machinery gone wild when a half-baked plan goes bad and threatens to take out a fellow man. In Florida, Jimmy and James are hunted by a venomous snake, while in Louisiana, Shelby is hunted by an old foe.

It's a new season of Ax Men and a new battle for "king of the mountain." Papac returns as reigning king of the mountain, but the stress of maintaining the title pushes hook tender Coatsy over the edge. Rygaard's dangerous blowdown site fights them at every turn. Shelby Stanga needs to start this season strong, but a gruesome accident puts him dead in the water. Veteran Pihl cutter Levi Brown breaks out on his own, and a new yarder company joins the competition. S&S logging returns to Florida to log against new rivals, but infighting trumps the competition.

Swamp Man Shelby Stanga is hired to remove a log from private property, but complications lead to disaster. Infighting reaches a fever pitch at S&S Aqua Logging, while the competition has a run-in with Mother Nature. A familiar face returns to Papac, much to Coatsy's dismay. Gabe Rygaard takes Dave out cutting, but things go awry. And the rookies of Big Gun Logging are adding to their ranks.

Jimmy Smith is smitten with his new assistant, while rivals Uncle Buck and Swilley push their equipment to the breaking point. Shelby Stanga scouts his newest log order with his darling wife Donna. Big Gun Logging faces an uncertain future when owner Levi Brown is admitted to the hospital. And at Rygaard and Papac, the chainsaws bite back.

At Papac Alaska, the site is turned upside down when the yarder operator walks off in the middle of the day. In Florida, Swilley's determination to beat S&S in the Suwannee River Log Off leads to a life threatening mistake. With their leader still in the hospital, Big Gun Logging loses control of the Ole Keasy site. At Rygaard, the rigging crew is learning safety lessons the hard way. And in the swamp, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Start-up outfit Big Gun Logging hits a snag as their deadline approaches. In Florida, Buck & Swilley make a run for the lead in the Log-Off while Jimmy deals with a crew crisis. Shelby Stanga enlists the help of a voodoo team to get his cousin's ghost under wraps. In Washington, a string of accidents on Craig's watch threatens to shut down the site. And in the mountains Montana, a new company joins the ranks of the Ax Men, forcing everyone to "cowboy up!"

It's a fight to the death between Shelby Stanga and a massive standing tree. At Rygaard, the bad blood between Dave and Fernando boils over. In Alaska, Papac's men are on the run when two machines get tangled up while in Florida, Buck and Swilley raise the stakes. And in Montana, the newcomers from Siderius Logging are gambling on life and limb.

An all-new season of Ax Men starts with a bang. Swamp Man Shelby Stanga is in search of a million-dollar payday, but nemesis Richard is hot on his trail. In Florida, S&S Aqua Logging gets a new captain, but a rocky first day signals trouble on the horizon. In the northwest, reigning King of the Mountain Rygaard Logging returns with a surprising new addition, and in Alaska, the rowdy boys of Papac Alaska begin another season battling the toughest terrain in the country.

The season has only just begun, and already, things are off to a rough start. In Alaska, Joe Linderborg is back in the yarder seat and the whole crew is paying the price. At Rygaard, DJ comes face-to-face with Craig after two years and the reunion isn t a happy one. In the swamp, Shelby and niece Stephanie stumble into a wasp s nest, and in Florida, S&S realizes they aren t alone on the Withlacoochee River. TVPG

It s week three and logging country is falling apart. In the swamp, Shelby must rely on niece Stephanie and cousin Belinda to do his dirty work. At Rygaard, the rigging guys formulate a plan to get rid of DJ. In Alaska, wild man Joe Linderborg takes it out on a choker-setter, and in Florida, James must cope with his dad s health issues while also leading his crew. TV14 D-L

As the season picks up speed, not everyone can keep up with the pace. At Rygaard, odd man out DJ Jeremiah is pushed to his breaking point. In Alaska, Coatsy boots Joe Linderborg from his seat in the yarder, but the consequences could prove deadly. In Florida, The Dreadknots find themselves on the wrong end of a falling log, and in the swamp, Shelby and his assistants fight to claim the biggest Cypress of the season.

Tempers have reached a fever pitch in logging country. At Rygaard, three years of tension between Craig and DJ comes to a head. In the swamp, the Swamp Man is on a special mission for wife Donna. At Papac, the end of the North Thorn site may mean the end of their season. And in Florida, the Dreadknots are in the line of fire, while Jimmy Smith takes a final ride down the river.

In Louisiana, the Swamp Man targets a money log, but it s in dangerous territory. At Rygaard, DJ gets put on notice, while in Florida, Brad and Swilley struggle to keep S&S from running off the rails. And from Canada, a new company is about to give them all a run for their money.

An all-new season of Ax Men explodes on to the scene. Swamp Man Shelby Stanga continues his search for the million-dollar log raft but a rough first day and a new opportunity change his mission. In Florida, the Dreadknots have a new deckhand and a new enemy. While in the northwest, last year's King of the Mountain winner Gabe Rygaard returns but this year he's defending his title with a whole new crew and without his dad. While in Alaska, the boys of Papac are back and ready to reclaim the title, but they face a site so treacherous it's considered to be unloggable.

The season is just beginning, and already, things are off to a rough start. At Rygaard, worried about his son's rocky start, Craig stops by and gets an unwelcome surprise of his own. In Alaska, Joe Linderborg and Mike Coatsy are taking two new greenhorns to school but it's looking like one of them might drop out. In the swamp, Shelby is loosing his assistant, his dog, his jet boat and his mind. In Florida, both Dreadknots and Chapman river teams are fighting just to stay afloat.

It's week three and the surprises keep on coming. In Washington, Gabe's king of the mountain title is in the hands of a novice crew, until he gets some help from an unlikely family member. Down in the swamp, Shelby's log buyer stops by for a surprise visit and things aren't looking good for the Swamp Man. On the Withlacoochee, the Kraken and Katelyn find that logging without Capitan Clint might not be as easy as they thought. At Chapman the newest member of the team fights for his life.

It's week four and the season is already running off the rails. On the Olympic Peninsula, Gabe runs a hung-over greenhorn into the ground but Jason disagrees with Gabe's management style. In the swamp, Belinda is too hurt to log so she's brought in a new assistant who almost drowns Shelby's dream of rebuilding his logging empire. Up in Alaska, Mike Papac decides to shake things up and brings in a long time family friend to help in the rigging. The battle for river supremacy rages on in Florida as the Chapman team fights amongst themselves and the Dreadknots divide to conquer.

The competition is heating up a quarter of the way through the season. Down in the Bayou, Shelby brings in a new assistant, but the logging gets put on hold when the Swamp Man finds that all his equipment has been sabotaged. In the Pacific Northwest, Joe tries to muscle his way through his mistakes but his shortcuts land him in hot water with the boss. In Washington, Gabe's greenhorns aren't living up their potential, and things get heated when Jason oversteps his boundaries and takes matters into his own hands. In Florida, the Dreadknots have their hands full with some surprise help on the boat, while Swilley fights for his place on the boat with the Chapman crew.

In Cajun country, Shelby has found a huge cash of logs, but to get it, he has to navigate the paddle barge through a narrow canal surrounded by private homes and docks. On the Olympic Peninsula, Gabe goes it alone and risks his own life trying to do too much. Down in Florida, the competition is heating up as the Chapman team discovers someone is poaching their logs and the Dreadknots suffer a crippling injury when Kraken gets his hand caught in a winch. Up in Alaska, Joe is sent to teach new logger Adrienne while topping a tree.

Rygaard heads into the groups roughest territory yet, hoping to recapture the title. Papac dreams of a repeat in Alaska, but Coatsy's injury hinders that thought.

A replacement is sought for Coatsy; the Rygaard crew bring in a second yarder; and the Dreadknots pull the wrong kind of wood in Florida.

A dangerous process is instituted in Alaska; Rygaard boosts production by doubling its number of yarders.

Shelby and his assistant Bob search the area for scrap metal they can use to repair the wheels on the Swamp Man buggy; Coatsy's return to Papac is marred by arguments with Joe and an uprooted tail hold stump, prompting him to leave Joe in charge until he has fully healed; a topping operation leads to lost time at Rygaard when the tree's cut section falls on the skyline and brings it down; assisted by Levi, David does some high-altitude limbing and topping to fill a special order for Zitterkopf; with Katelyn cleared to resume work, Dreadknots risks working into the night to bring in a stash of logs marked by Clint; Kellie's injuries in a weekend car accident leave Triack shorthanded.

Ax Men is the first-ever non-fiction series about the treacherous life of Pacific Northwest timber cutters. From History and Original Productions, the same team responsible for the mega hit, Ice Road Truckers, this series looks at the legacy that the pioneers of our country laid for the present and future generations of loggers. Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, rugged men make their living doing one of the most dangerous jobs in history... Logging

Swamp Man receives an order from furniture designer Brandon Morrison to find logs for a table and benches that he plans to donate to the local Boys & Girls Clubs of America chapter. After the search gets off to a slow start, Shelby and Brandon venture deep into the swamp and start finding valuable wood for both the table/benches and some lamps that one of Shelby's neighbors needs for her house. Brandon assembles the pieces with help from an old friend; after he and Shelby deliver them, he suggests that the two may be able to work together again in the future.

The Ax Men return, facing tougher conditions than ever before. This season, industry titans Pihl Logging and Rygaard Logging tackle some of their most challenging jobs yet, attempting to thrive in a turbulent industry. Newcomer Frank Harkness makes a name for himself, logging where no one else will, and Buckin' Billy Ray takes to the tree tops of Vancouver Island, risking his life to keep other people safe.

Mike Pihl looks for help from a logging legend; Jason Rygaard faces his biggest test as the new boss and his father Craig's future at Rygaard logging is questioned; The Harkness crew battles winter storms and vertical terrain in the Cascade Mountains; and Wade Etienne goes after valuable hardwood giants with custom machines in Indiana.

Brandon Harkness fights his way up a mountainside in the 29-ton Tigercat; Mike Pihl get his 52-ton yarder lodged between trees; Wade Ettiene's "Big Mama" takes a two-inch steel sawtooth to her face; and Buckin' Billy's son Hogan loses his grip while cutting a tree 60-feet off the ground.

Danny Pihl gambles on horsepower to untangle a massive steel knot that's shut down the jobsite. Rygaard blows out the cobwebs as the company begins logging on their massive, new job. Wade Etienne battles rising mud, trying to get his logs off the jobsite and Buckin' Billy's forced to take down multiple trees at the same time.

Rygaard Logging fights to fix a crooked skyline, crossing a deep valley on their longest road yet. Danny Pihl pushes himself physically and mentally while running his first jobsite on his own. Frank Harkness' fast work ethic proves too much for his equipment while on a steep, snow- covered mountainside and Wade Etienne doubles down on a risky plan to custom fabricate a one-of-a-kind log-hauler.

A breakdown forces Jason Rygaard to choose between his crew's safety and finishing the job. Frank Harkness is caught in a whiteout while moving the excavator on a narrow mountainside logging road. Wade Etienne finally tests his six-wheel, custom- fabricated, log-hauler and Buckin' Billy tests his son, Hogan, on a solo cutting mission 100 feet above the ground.