The documentary series exploring the treacherous work of lumberjacks in the remote forests of the Pacific Northwest continues. Following four teams of loggers based all over the region, Axe Men brings to life one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and profiles the brave men who risk their lives on a daily basis. In this instalment, the crews feel the pinch as an economic decline hits the logging industry.

Fifteen miles from the Oregon coast, Darrell Holthusen and the Gustafson crew are finally making headway with the Challenge site. Darrell’s boss, Clay Gustafson, is very pleased with the men’s progress. “This is a particularly tough site,” he says. But on this remote mountain, high production may have a down side. With the drive to the location a long and difficult one, few truckers are willing to make the journey – and logs are stacking up on the landing. “We only have two weeks to get this wood out of here, and right now I only have three trucks,” says Darrell.

From the bottom of the steep incline, Dave Ray radios to base with reports of an exciting find. Dave has come across an ‘old-growth tree’ – a rare survivor of the wildfires of the 1930s and 40s that decimated the area, destroying over 350,000 acres of timber. This giant is worth a great deal of cash, but at five tonnes, it is more than four times the weight of the average tree and will stretch the skyline to breaking point. “Time for a little fun,” says yarder operator Richie. “We’ve got a big kahuna here!”

Over at Round Top mountain, Melvin Lardy and the Stump Branch crew have been at a standstill since their loader broke down, meaning the loss of thousands of dollars. However, today sees the arrival of two new parts that put the machine back in gear, leading to a renewed sense of optimism amongst the men. “I’m definitely happy to see that sucker running,” says truck driver Jeff. “It means I’ve got a job now!”

After days of disruption, the Stump Branch boys are back in business. Melvin sends two of his cutters ahead of the rest of the crew to start work on the new site. “We make the mess and they clean it up,” explains a confident Dustin. But the boss wants these young guns to fell at least 75 trees before the day is out – and Levi Brown appreciates the necessity for caution. “It’s definitely nice to have the old guys around to show us what they have learned throughout the years,” he says.

At the JM Browning headquarters in Astoria, Oregon, Jay has gathered his men for a meeting. For 20 years, this crew has relied on top-of-the range gear and enjoyed robust harvests and financial success. Because of the downturn in housing construction, however, it is a very different story today. “We’re struggling to keep everything going,” says Jay. “We’ve lost a lot of work.” Jay has been forced to take on some smaller jobs and, for the first time ever, he is to split his crew. As he sends his teams out to their respective sites, Jay offers a few carefully selected words of advice: “Get wood, you maggots!”

Jay’s son Jesse is put in charge of a three-man skeleton crew and charged with scraping four loads from a small slope. But this job has its own challenges. Accustomed to using the large yarder machine, Jesse now has only the smaller yoder at his disposal. He hopes to clear the area by the end of the day, but it seems the yoder has other ideas...

Thirty miles to the southeast, the Pihl crew continues to work the Pig Farm site. Although their job was cut in half, the crewmen are glad of a payday. Back on the slopes after a period without work, Dwayne Dethfels heads into the brush where he feels at home. “It’s time to cut a couple of trees,” he says.

Dwayne makes tree-felling look easy, but it is the most dangerous job on the mountains. A successful feller must master the science of sending ten-storey trees toppling in the exact direction required. “If the timber is felled properly, it will lay with the contour of the ground,” says Dwayne. “When it’s done, it should look like it has been combed.”