reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
that premiered on March 9, 2008 on
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
and the rivers of
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The show highlights the dangers encountered by the
loggers
Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...
. Following in the footsteps of other shows from
Original Productions
Original Productions, LLC is a television production company based in Burbank, California. It was founded in 1999 by Thom Beers.Deadliest Catch'' and ''
Ice Road Truckers
''Ice Road Truckers'' (commercially abbreviated ''IRT'') is a reality television series that premiered on History Channel, on June 17, 2007. It features the activities of drivers who operate trucks on seasonal routes crossing frozen lakes and ...
'', the series is considered part of a recent "real-men-in-real-danger"
television programming
Broadcast programming is the practice of organizing or ordering (scheduling) of broadcast media shows, typically radio and television, in a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or season-long schedule.
Modern broadcasters use broadcast automation ...
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
''. - April 7, 2008
Cast overview
Season 1
J.M. Browning Logging
J.M. Browning Logging is owned by Jay Browning, a 34-year veteran of the logging industry. His left hand was torn off in a logging accident, but he now wears a prosthesis that allows him to operate a chainsaw. Jay runs his company with a "hire the best in the business and use the best equipment" philosophy. His sons Jesse and Jared work for him; Jesse is scheduled to take over the company one day. Jay Browning started his logging company in 1985. His company has been headquartered in Astoria in Clatsop County ever since.
Gustafson Logging
Gustafson Logging Company is a
clearcut
Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ...
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
's second growth forests. Gustafson Logging is currently owned by three brothers, Clay, Mark and Wade Gustafson, sons of Duane Gustafson. The company was started in 1974 by Duane Gustafson. Darrell Holthusen is the "side rod," or crew foreman.
Pihl Logging
Pihl Logging is owned by Mike Pihl. Comments by employee Dwayne Dethlefs are often featured in promotional spots for the show; his son Dustin also works for the company. Both of them quit at the end of Season 2, with Dustin moving to Alaska in Season 4 to work for Olson Marine (see below). Dwayne returned to the company in Season 10 at Mike's request. Pihl is based in
Vernonia, Oregon
Vernonia is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Nehalem River, in a valley on the eastern side of the Northern Oregon Coast Range that is the heart of one of the most important timber-producing areas of the sta ...
.
Stump Branch Logging
This company, owned by Melvin Lardy and based in
Buxton, Oregon
Buxton is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States, near Oregon Route 47.
History
The Buxton area was settled by Henry T. Buxton in 1884, and the town was named for his family, including his father, also named Hen ...
, eats, sleeps and breathes logging. He's been in the business for more than a decade, but recently landed a monstrous job that could be his big break – if it doesn't break him in the process. Melvin's equipment is the logger's beginner set – a collection of rusted hunks of metal that stop at a moment's notice and shut down production without warning. Melvin has always succeeded where others have failed, though, and he's hoping his luck will hold out on this job. Part of his success depends on greenhorn Michael, who's been on the job only one month. Michael is working alongside his childhood buddies at Stump Branch, but lifelong friendship won't get him anywhere when it comes to learning the logging business. Michael is catching on quickly, but this business doesn't cut anyone a break.
Season 2
The Pihl and Browning crews are featured in this season, along with three other companies.
R&R Conner Aviation
Ryan and Robin Conner founded this company in 2000 in Conner, Montana. They specialize in "heli-logging": using a helicopter to airlift felled trees from terrain too steep or hostile to reach with an access road. The helicopter was restored at The Pitstop Inc..
Rygaard Logging
This company, based in
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021.
The city's har ...
, was founded by Craig Rygaard in 1992. His sons Gabe and Jason are his business partners. Craig retires at the end of Season 6 and turns the business over to Gabe. One of the company's support truckers is Todd Dewey, who is also an ice road trucker during winter. He is the nephew of Craig and cousin of Gabe and Jason. Todd is featured in Season 8. Gabe was killed in an automobile accident on September 16, 2016 at the age of 45. As of Season 10, Jason is now in charge of the business.
S&S Aqua Logging
Founded by Jimmy Smith in
South Cle Elum, Washington
South Cle Elum is a town in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 532 at the 2010 census.
History
In 1909, the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway chose Cle Elum as a division point between the Coast and Columbia ...
, S&S recovers sunken old-growth logs from the beds of rivers that were used by earlier generations of loggers to float them downstream. The company motto is "Recovering the forests of yesterday to save the forests of tomorrow," reflecting their commitment to never cut down a live tree. His son James is active in the business, leaving to work for Collins River Logging in Season 3 and returning to S&S in Season 4.
Season 3
The same companies from Season 2 (Rygaard, Conner, Browning, S&S and Pihl) are featured in Season 3, which takes place during summer rather than fall/winter. Due to trouble with Washington state permits (see below), S&S relocates to
White Springs, Florida
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, United States, on the Suwannee River. The population was 777 at the 2010 census, down from 819 at the 2000 census. Home of the annual Florida Folk Festival, it is a tourist destination noted ...
and begins working with Collins River Logging. Two new crew appears alongside these five:
Collins River Logging
Florida river logger Joe Collins specializes in finding preserved logs lost in mill waterways during the 1880s logging boom. He oversees a team of southern-style aqua loggers, including boat captain Steve "Uncle Buck" Livingston, young diver Patrick "Pond Bear" Swilley, deckhand Geoff "G-Dog" Dunnam and U.S. Air Force veteran diver Jess Horstman. Joining Joe's team this season are the father/son duo Jimmy and James Smith from the Washington-based S&S Aqua Logging. The company's search for treasure in the fast-flowing, pitch black waters of the Suwannee River is made even more dangerous by the venomous water snakes and huge alligators that inhabit the area.
Swamp Man Logging
Shelby Stanga
Shelby may refer to:
Places United States
* Shelby, Alabama, a census-designated place and unincorporated community
* Shelby, Idaho
* Shelby, Indiana, an unincorporated town
* Shelby, Iowa, a city
* Shelby, Oceana County, Michigan, a village ...
since he was nine years old, and he has been logging in the area for 37 years. He recovers abandoned logs from the nearby waterways with an ever-evolving cast of sidekicks—his dog Willy; his friends Earl, Bob, and DaVi; his cousins Jarvis and Belinda; his nieces Cheyenne and Stephanie; and his wife Donna.
Season 4
Pihl, Browning, Rygaard, Collins, S&S, and Swamp Man appear in this season, again working the summer logging season, along with two new crews.
Lemare Lake Logging
This company, based in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, was founded by Dave Dutcyvich in the mid-1980s and is now owned by his son Eric. They concentrate on harvesting timber from the remote islands off Canada's west coast, hauling in equipment and supplies by barge to allow them to live on the job site when necessary.
Papac Alaska Logging
Headquartered in
Craig, Alaska
Craig ( tli, Sháan Séet) is a city in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area in the Unorganized Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 1,036 at the 2020 census, down from 1,201 in 2010.
Geography
Craig is the largest town on ...
, this company was founded by Mike Papac as an offshoot of his father's Washington-based logging business. For job sites on islands, the
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District.
With a population at the 20 ...
-based transport company Olson Marine, owned by Rick Olson, hauls Papac's logs over the water by barge and tugboat to reach mainland collection points and processing facilities.
Season 5
Papac, Rygaard, S&S, and Swamp Man appear in this season, along with six new crews.
Big Gun Logging
Based in Vernonia, Oregon, Big Gun is a new company started by former Pihl cutter Levi Brown. Mike Pihl, his former boss, helps the crew start out by contracting a job to them and leasing an old yarder. Later in the season, Levi leases a more powerful yarder and calls in Pihl operator Leland Bontrager to run it.
H.H. Horse Logging
This company, founded by Jason Rutledge and based in
Floyd County, Virginia
Floyd County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,476. Its county seat is the town of Floyd. Floyd County is included in the Blacksburg- Christiansburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical ...
, has been in operation for 10 years. The crew uses teams of horses to pull felled trees off job sites without the need for heavy machinery or access roads. Jason's son Jagger is the crew leader.
Siderius Logging
This company was started by Dan Siderius in 2009 and is based in
Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell (, Montana Salish: Ql̓ispé, Kutenai language: kqayaqawakⱡuʔnam) is a city in, and the county seat of, Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. In Montana's northwest region ...
. His crew is younger than most others and focuses on jobs on/around rugged mountain terrain.
Uncle Buck Logging
This Florida-based outfit is run by "Uncle" Buck Livingston, a Suwannee River logger who helped both S&S and Collins by killing an alligator that menaced the crews in an earlier season. He has recruited Patrick Swilley from Collins to work as his diver.
Wheeler Logging and Willett Logging
These two companies operate in rural New Hampshire, using teams of oxen to pull logs off job sites. Wheeler Logging was founded by Barry Wheeler, who now runs the crew with his son Marshall; Devin and Justin Willett, Barry's nephews, formed Willett Logging to compete with them.
Season 6
Rygaard, Papac, S&S, Swamp Man, Lemare Lake, and Big Gun appear in this season, which was filmed before the death of Jimmy Smith. S&S relocates to North Florida's Withlacoochee River. Jimmy and James return to Washington partway through the season, leaving Patrick Swilley and diver Brad Taylor in charge of the S&S boat. Two new crews appear in this season: Dreadknots Logging and Wisconsin Woodchuck.
Dreadknots Logging
This crew, headed by Clint Roberts, has been working to recover logs from the Withlacoochee for over four years. Clint's crew consists of diver Dave Stone ("The Kraken") and deckhand Chris Miller ("River Guide"). Chris was replaced by Katelyn Sims, who plays the role of Dave's cousin, but in reality, the two are in fact unrelated, in Season 7. They find logs by firing a revolver into the water and listening for differences in the echoing reports.
Wisconsin Woodchuck
Based in Superior, Wisconsin, this company was formed in 2005 to salvage old-growth lumber structures so the material can be reused. Their main project is to dismantle the Globe Elevator, the largest grain storage facility in the world when it was built in the 1880s. Judy Peres and David Hozza are the co-owners.
Season 7
Rygaard, Papac, Swamp Man, and the Dreadknots appear in this season, with three new crews, Kelly Oakes & Sons Logging, Chapman Logging, and Ax Cut Lumber. Dave Stone briefly goes into business for himself, using the old S&S boat, but it sinks under the weight of a load of logs.
Ax Cut Lumber
This company, based in
Pearl River, Louisiana
Pearl River is a town in St. Tammany Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 2,506 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 2,618 at the 2020 population estimates program. It is part of the New Orleans– Metairie–Kenner metropol ...
, is owned by twin brothers Ronald and Donald Jones. They focus on recovering sunken cypress logs from remote swampland, often calling in family members (including their brother Tommy and sister Brandie) to round out the crew.
Chapman Logging
This company, owned by Greg Chapman, has been recovering logs from Florida's rivers for 15 years and currently works the
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...
. Greg's crew consists of deckhand Leslie Jeter, master diver Roger Gunter, and newly hired diver Patrick Swilley (previously worked for Uncle Buck in season 5, Collins/S&S Logging in seasons 3 and 4, and S&S in season 6). He trained Clint Roberts when Clint was starting in the river logging business.
Kelly Oakes & Sons Logging
This company, based in Port Angeles, Washington and owned by Kelly Oakes, has been a longtime rival of Rygaard. Kelly's sons Josh and Jacob are part of his crew.
Season 8
Rygaard, Papac, Dreadknots, Chapman, and Swamp Man return for this season, along with two new crews.
Triack Resources
Owned by Dave McRae, this company has been active in British Columbia for over 30 years, logging on difficult sites that other companies either cannot or will not attempt. His sons Alec and Kellie are part of the crew.
Zitterkopf & Sons Logging
This company, owned by David Zitterkopf, harvests timber from remote areas in the western United States. The crew, which includes his sons Zane, Ethan, and Levi, camps on the job sites.
Season 9
Rygaard, Papac, Chapman, Zitterkopf, and Swamp Man return for this season, with one new crew.
Gary and Eddie
Gary Champagne and Eddie Frashier have lived, hunted, and fished in the Mississippi River delta for years. This is their first year venturing into swamp logging, attracted by the potential for large payoffs.
Season 10
Pihl and Rygaard return for this season, along with three new companies.
Buckin' Billy Ray's Tree Service
Billy Ray Smith owns this company, which is based in Nanaimo, British Columbia and focuses on cutting down trees that pose a danger to private landowners. He prefers to work with vintage chainsaws and hand-crafted axes and is training his son Hogan in the business.
Etienne's Timber
Based in St. Croix, Indiana, this company was founded by Phil Etienne in 1973. He and his wife Joann ran it until Phil retired in 2002; their son "Logger" Wade now handles daily operations. Wade specializes in customizing and re-configuring the company's equipment to handle difficult logging challenges.
Harkness Logging
This company, owned by Frank Harkness and founded by his father, is based in Acme, Washington. Frank uses a custom-designed cable/tether system to move logs and personnel on job sites that are too steep to walk on. His sons Brandon and Jay R are part of his crew.
Series overview
Release
International airings
''Ax Men'' aired in the United Kingdom on the local variant of the
History channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
, then later aired on the terrestrial Channel 5, where the title was changed to ''Axe Men''. The latest season has returned to History.
''Ax Men'' airs in Canada on History Canada, in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
on
History TV18
History TV18 (formerly known as The History Channel) is a television channel in India. It broadcasts infotainment and documentry shows. It is owned by a joint venture between A+E Networks, owner of the American History channel, and TV18, an Ind ...
, in Australia on
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010. The channel contains sport and regular programs aimed primarily to a male audience, with programming drawn from a c ...
and
A&E Australia
A&E is an Australian subscription television channel which launched on Thursday 16 February 2012.
A&E is a male-skewed channel that focuses on 'real life' content, similar to that of its American counterpart.
On 23 February 2012, Austar annou ...
, in Germany on
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
RMC Découverte
RMC Découverte is a French television channel broadcast on channel 24 and owned by NextRadioTV. Created in 2012, it mainly broadcasts documentaries such as ''Wheeler Dealers'', '' Ancient Aliens'', Swamp Loggers. RMC Découverte broadcasts th ...
, in Spain on
Xplora
Xplora was a Spanish TV channel owned by Atresmedia. The channel started broadcasting on 1 May 2012, replacing laSexta2 due its low ratings. On 5 May 2014, the channel ceased broadcasting.
Most of its programming were documentaries and reality ...
and previously on Discovery Max, in Lithuania on TV6 and aired in
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
on RTL 2.
Home Media
The first six seasons have been released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
, both as individual volumes and as a box sets.
Legal action against S&S Aqua Logging
On 13 March 2009, the
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
Department of Natural Resources
This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...
(DNR) seized more than two dozen logs that may have been illegally salvaged by S&S Aqua Logging. DNR officers served a
search warrant
A search warrant is a court order that a magistrate or judge issues to authorize law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate any evidence they find. In most countries, ...
on the company to retrieve timber they had pulled from the
Hoquiam River
The Hoquiam River is a stream in the U.S. state of Washington. It has three main tributaries, the East Fork, West Fork, and Middle Fork Hoquiam Rivers. The main stem Hoquiam River is formed by the confluence of the West and East Forks. The Middle ...
without a permit.
Jimmy Smith, who owned and operated S&S, said on the show that the logs were worth about $10,000, according to search warrant records.
"These are valuable materials that belong to the public and this looks like theft, plain and simple. They are part of the functioning ecosystem, so removing the log would be like removing part of the bed," state Public Lands CommissionerPeter Goldmark said.
According to Greg Hueckel, the DNR's fish and wildlife habitat programs director, "Logs provide a key function for rivers in trapping sediment, harboring insects and other food for fish, and creating pools and riffles where fish can rest." Hueckel said his agency typically grants permits to remove logs in situations where flooding causes log jams and it's unlikely that a permit would be granted for timber harvest.
Deaths
On November 1, 2012, Jimmy Smith of S&S Aqua Logging died after battling cancer; he was 56 at the time of his death. Details of the continuation of his business are still uncertain. The seventh season's debut episode, All or Nothing, was dedicated in his memory.
William Bart Colantuono, who appeared on seasons two and three of the show, was killed on September 18, 2013 when his helicopter crashed while attempting to lift logs in an Oregon forest. The History Channel described Colantuono's role as "a smart pilot who isn't afraid to take risks. He's been flying for a long time and views helicopter logging as a competitive sport. He competes against himself, against the machine and against the weather." Witnesses told Linn County deputies that the pilot released the logs before crashing, indicating he knew of a problem. Witnesses say they also saw a rotor separate from the copter before it flipped and crashed upside down. The Season 7 episode "Axes and Allies" was dedicated to his memory.
On September 16, 2016, Rygaard Logging owner-operator Gabe Rygaard was killed in a motor vehicle crash on U.S. Route 101 in
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021.
The city's har ...
. The Washington State Patrol reported that Rygaard was driving a white Ford Bronco that rear-ended a left-turning vehicle before crossing the center road line into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Dwayne Dethlefs of Pihl Logging died Dec 6, 2019. The cause of his death is not public as of this update. Mike Pihl owner of Pihl Logging announced Dwayne's death the morning of Dec 7, 2019.
Awards and nominations
Notes
# The Season had an Introduction Episode which upped the number to 21 episodes in a season and changed the season premier to November 3, though the episode is not considered the first episode of the season.