Ax Men--anyone catch the show??

[mark page]

Anyone catch the show "Ax Men" on the history channel? Looks like it's going to be another "Dangerous Catch/Ice Road Truckers" type thing, but it was interesting. I was just wondering how they come about the land to log. Do they own it, government resourced, privately held land and they pay commissions?? Also wonder what the income levels are for the actual loggers? I'm sure the owners of the companies get their fair shake in the deal. According to the web site, its going to be another several weeks before a new episode is shown.

[Tim Malyszko]

I watched it last night and really wasn't too impressed by it. To me it was just another version of deadliest catch and I got pretty bored after watching one douglas fir after another falling.

I'll probably watch it for a few more weeks, but if it doesn't get more interesting, I'll pass on it.

[Travis Gauger]

I don't know how they do it over there, but I know that here in Wisconsin, anyone can bid on timber tracts. The DOF accepts bids and awards timber tract harvesting here. If you have your own land you can cut whatever you like, but in the setting they are doing it is most likely done through a bidding process on state or fedrally owned land. Most government owned land is in a responsible forestry program that manages any timber tract over 100mbf. In an area like they are showing, that would be an acre or so to qualify. The wind blown timber that most were logging in the show would be typical of such a forestry program. I bet that over half the wood I use through out the year is from similar programs. A lot of the local logging companies will not bid on the small rest area and road side cleanups. They all fight over the big tracts where they can set their equipment up for days or weeks. I personally have no problem going out and cleaning up 5-8 maple trees for the state. Last summer I paid $230 to cut 16 ash trees from a way side. Those 16 trees ended up being almost 3000 bd ft of wood. Cost me another $.40 a bd ft to saw and kiln dry it through a local sawmill, but when it was all said and done, less than $.50 a bd ft for some real nice wood. It is also kind of cool to be able to tell customers the story of their furniture.

Good show though, I was entertained.:o

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I saw a few minutes of it. Gotta say those sissies do it the easy way. I've used myself, horses, and a Chevy Blazar K5 as a skidder.

I guess after they felled the thousandth tree they are going to have to kill someone off maybe squish 'em under a tree or something to keep viewer interest.

Or fist fights. Sort of like OCC only in the woods.

If it weren't for all the racket and yelling I might have actually watched a whole episode of OCC.

[Craig D Peltier]

I saw it, was kind of boring. Didnt know about that pulley system though, that was cool.
Hope it gets better.

[Jason Christenson]

DVR'd it. Looking forward to sitting down and watching it.

Jason

[Tim Morton]

No, but I did watch the 12 hour Ice Road Truckers marathon saturday....great TV:)

[Barry Nelson]

My son drives over here what are called B doubles,I have obtained copies of that show Ice Truckers for him and will give them to him next time he is in town, was great Tv

[Pat Germain]

I liked watching the team who got their rig stuck in the mud. It brought back many Navy memories for me; complete idiot with no clue in charge of people with no respect for him and fully aware what a dolt he is. Yet, he has the audicity to call his team of bunch of idiots.

When you compare the guy who was stuck in the mud to the guy who hired a helicopter to run his cables, it's painfully obvious who is a leader and who is a moron. Unfortunately, most "managers" these days fall into the latter category.

Corporate America needs leaders like the guy who hired a helicopter; "been there, done that, but we can do it even better!". What I usually get is "been nowhere, done nothing but party through school, I have no idea how it's done, but we need to cut staffing because revenues are stuck in the mud."

[Craig D Peltier]

Helicopter boss almost looked like an idiot when one of his workers was almost flying behind the helicopter with his leg stuck in the cable.
I liked watching the team who got their rig stuck in the mud. It brought back many Navy memories for me; complete idiot with no clue in charge of people with no respect for him and fully aware what a dolt he is. Yet, he has the audicity to call his team of bunch of idiots.

When you compare the guy who was stuck in the mud to the guy who hired a helicopter to run his cables, it's painfully obvious who is a leader and who is a moron. Unfortunately, most "managers" these days fall into the latter category.

Corporate America needs leaders like the guy who hired a helicopter; "been there, done that, but we can do it even better!". What I usually get is "been nowhere, done nothing but party through school, I have no idea how it's done, but we need to cut staffing because revenues are stuck in the mud."

[Kyle Kraft]

I recorded it Sunday night and went to watch it Monday night to discover that sonny boy deleted it to make more room for "Drake and Josh". Stupid me...I didn't protect the event....fortunately there will be a repeat of the first episode next Sunday after episode #2.

The event is now password protected.

[Pat Germain]

Helicopter boss almost looked like an idiot when one of his workers was almost flying behind the helicopter with his leg stuck in the cable.

Although the boss is responsible for the job site, I don't think that was his fault. Going back to my Navy training, when dealing with cables and ropes, you have to stay "clear of the bit". Thus, I think it's time for some basic safety review for that crew.

Someone could just as easily get their leg caught in a cable strung by hand. Whether your dangling from a helicopter or dangling from the rig boom probably doesn't matter. Of course, in reality, the guy's leg like would probably have been sliced off and both he and his leg would still be on the ground, but not necessarily in proximity to one another.

Overall, I'm in agreement with most here. I found the show quite repetative and kinda boring.

[Glenn Clabo]

I really wasn't impressed with this one.

IMHO "Deadliest Catch" is the only one of these shows worth watching.

[Lee Koepke]

I started watching the show about Human Body ... its captivating .. last night was eyesight ....

[Greg Muller]

I'm jealous of you guys. My main TV is usually too busy playing TIVO'd episodes of "Dora", "Diego", or "Tigger and Pooh" for my 2 yr old girl and 5 yr old son.

I never get to watch any cool shows until late at night, so I am usually stuck out in my shop making dust. Poor me.

Every once in a while, though, I get lucky and my son lets me watch "Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius" with him while he sits on my lap!!! Cool.

:D

Greg

[jeremy levine]

I'm jealous of you guys. My main TV is usually too busy playing TIVO'd episodes of "Dora", "Diego", or "Tigger and Pooh" for my 2 yr old girl and 5 yr old son.

...
:D

Greg
And thats why I got a second TIVO, funny thing is now my older boy will TIVO some of the the same things I want ( Modern Marvels, Future Weapons but NEVER This Old House :mad: )

On the subject for "Ax Men" I could only watch a bit before I became board ..."Deadliest Catch" will always be the standard by which all other a measured ( and come up short )

[John Marshall]

I liked it, but I am biased. My uncle is out there and worked in the industry. I dig all of those kind of shows, some are better than others. Didnt like "Lobstermen", that was a lame version of Deadliest Catch.

[John Shuk]

And thats why I got a second TIVO, funny thing is now my older boy will TIVO some of the the same things I want ( Modern Marvels, Future Weapons but NEVER This Old House :mad: )

On the subject for "Ax Men" I could only watch a bit before I became board ..."Deadliest Catch" will always be the standard by which all other a measured ( and come up short )

Don't forget "The Backyardigans" .
I have a second DVR as well.
I started the first episode. It looks good so far.

[George Sanders]

Pretty boring. I did like the helicopter running cables idea. They got a leg up that way. The idiot that got near the cable reminded me of the years I worked as a mate on a barge line. I always warned the new guys to keep out of the bight of a line or cable. This is a pinch point between a deck fitting and the cable. It can take off a leg, an arm, or even cut a man in half. When the slack runs out fast; run like hell. No way would I stand close to those cables when they are picking up logs as I have seen what happens when cable break. Everything can break including 2" steel cables.

[Ryan Hovis]

I thought it was interesting to say the least. The dangerous job theme is close to being played out. Next year it'll be ironworkers, maybe after that, linesmen.

[Peter Quinn]

I lived in Portland OR for a year after school. One weekend we headed out to the coast via logging roads through the Cascades, decided to camp out for the night when things got to foggy to see. I remember thinking "Man, this is gonna be beautiful waking up in the mountains looking down into a great valley, I can hear the lake below us."

We woke up at first light in a clear cut..the entire mountain was cut bald as far as the eye could see, and in the northern Cascades, thats pretty far! There were GIANT piles of doug fir timber here and there, lots of heavy equipment, not a single living thing left standing.

Seemed like those guys on Axe Men were relatively small scale operations compared to the stuff I saw, maybe they don't do it like that anymore? I remember thinking 1" of rain and the whole mountain might landslide into the valley!