Ax Men

It's the dead heat of summer and this season the stakes are higher than ever. From mountaintop to river's bottom, six crews will take on one of America's deadliest jobs in search of green gold. In this episode, Ax Men is logging coast to coast. Shelby the "Swamp Man" Stanga braves gator-infested waters in search of sunken treasure. Browning, Rygaard, and Pihl are locked in competition as the brutal summer weather heats up.

As the summer heats up, so do the men of the mountain. Rygaard breaks in its greenhorns, while Jay Browning takes a gamble on a new yarder operator. At Pihl, dissension grows between Melvin and Leland. And in bayou country, Shelby heads deeper into the swamp than ever before, but the mission may cost him everything he owns.

After an ill-fated road trip, Jimmy and James Smith arrive in Florida to tackle the dangerous black water of the American South, only to realize they're in way over their heads. Rygaard's greenhorns get a wake-up call when a cable snaps. Browning's soaring production has a price, and at Pihl, Melvin's mistakes may cost him his job.

The forest fights back, as a careless mistake at Browning threatens to take out DJ and Cody. At Rygaard, Gabe gives his greenhorns an ultimatum: shape up or ship out. At Pihl, Melvin and Leland face-off in a fight for the yarder seat, and down south, Jimmy's first dive may be his last.

Logging country is under siege. Melvin's gung-ho attitude puts the crew in danger. Rygaard's greenhorns fight for a permanent spot on the crew. While Jimmy is on the prowl for logs, a gator is on the prowl for him. The Swamp Man fights his way through Hurricane Katrina debris in search of green gold, and at Browning, Jay collapses on the job.

Tempers flare as the logging season hits the rails. Jay Browning battles allergic shock, while Gabe Rygaard sends one of the greenhorns packing. At S&S, Jimmy and Joe Collins face-off, and at Pihl, Melvin and the crew finally have it out.

At Rygaard, one of the greenhorns goes AWOL and Gabe has him on the chopping block. But he's not the only one--several of the loggers face the ax and for some, this week will be their last on the job. In the swamps of Louisiana, Shelby takes on a risky mission as he searches for a sunken raft of logs, and at Browning, bad news pushes Jay to his breaking point.

The loggers struggle to get back on track after losing a man. At Browning, a weak cable threatens to kill half the crew, while the only remaining greenhorn at Rygaard is in the line of fire during a log-alanche. Shelby's camera crew gets lost in the swamp overnight. In Florida, Jimmy and James set out alone and score the season's first big catch. And, Conner Aviation returns to face the most dangerous heli-logging job of their career.

Shelby's desperate dash for cash is halted when he crashes in the swamp. A monster gator stalks the S&S boys, pushing Jimmy to his breaking point. At Rygaard, Gabe competes against his own team and at Browning, Jay recruits DJ and Cody for a dangerous environmental mission. At Conner, a giant load breaks the belly hook off the chopper, grounding the heli-loggers.

Jimmy and James come face-to-face with the 12-foot gator that has stalked them for weeks. In the swamps of Louisiana, Shelby goes solo on a challenging mission. At Rygaard, greenhorn Dave disappears and at Browning, a string of setbacks makes Jay question if the Kalina job is cursed. The rookie pilots at Conner get the ride of their lives.

With the season winding down, the pressure heats up. Dave returns from jail but may not have a job to come back to, Shelby hunts his biggest catch of the season, and Conner's rookie pilots are take off on their first solo missions. In Florida, Jimmy faces a moral dilemma, and for Browning, it's the end of the line.

With only two weeks remaining in the season, the mountain is turned upside down. Browning bounces back, while Rygaard suffers a devastating loss. Jimmy's on thin ice at Collins, one of Conner's junior pilots is sent packing, and Shelby is rushed to the emergency room.

The season's exciting conclusion. It's an all-out fight to the finish for Browning and Rygaard, as Gabe mounts a last minute surprise comeback. Shelby vows revenge on the lake log, and at Conner, it's up to the junior pilot to save the season. In Florida, it's the end of the road for Jimmy, but Joe Collins makes James an offer he may not be able to refuse.