Ep 8. Shelby's New Toy

In the eighth episode of season six of Ax Men titled "Shelby's New Toy," viewers are taken into the world of industrial logging as experienced by Shelby Stanga.

At the beginning of the episode, Shelby spends a fair amount of time showcasing his new toy, a remote control boat equipped with a camera. Through this device, he is able to see the submerged logs that he intends to extract from the water. He views the logs as potential income and values each one's worth by means of its girth, length, and species type.

As Shelby begins to experiment with his new toy, another logging crew, Rygaard Logging, is dealing with the aftermath of a triggered landslide. The landslide occurred after they allowed for too much water accumulation in the timber, affecting the slope. David Rygaard, the owner of the company, must scramble a team to take care of the situation since keeping the logs dry is crucial for a successful season of logging, and the mudslide has made it nearly impossible.

Meanwhile, the Pihl Logging crew is experiencing another problem – their means of transportation is no longer functioning. Their powered boat has broken down, making it extremely difficult for them to move long logs through the water. This is causing a significant delay in their operations and risking their ability to meet the daily quota necessary to keep the business running.

In light of their mishap, the Pihl crew decides to get creative in their efforts to transport the massive logs. They recruit locals to help them manually move the logs, which poses a significant risk to the workers, especially when they must move the logs through busy waterways. Safety is paramount, and any mistakes could lead to severe injuries, if not fatalities.

Meanwhile, Shelby continues to experiment with his remote-controlled device. He discovers a few logs that have curled up on the riverbed, which adds to their value since finding species of that kind is relatively rare. With his new device, Shelby feels he has found his calling and can now extract these logs from the river since no one else will be able to see them without the sophisticated equipment.

With Shelby's eye for rare and valuable logs, and his new toy, he finds tender roots of a 100-year-old blue gum tree that begins to reveal the history and habitat of the surrounding area. This is a crucial moment as the revealed information could lead to Shelby's business of harvesting rare logs, but it could also mean destruction of the ecological balance of the region.

As the episode draws to an end, the Ryguards succeed in moving the logs they rescued from the landslide, and Pihl Logging finds a solution to their transportation problem. However, the episode leaves Shelby as an enigma, with his approach to harvesting rare logs yet to be proven to be safe or sustainable.

Shelby's New Toy provides viewers with a glimpse into the world of commercial timber harvesting, the challenges of logistics and transportation, while also highlighting the critical importance of safety in the logging business. Shelby's characterization adds a layer of mystery to the story, making viewers wonder what his next move will be in harvesting delicate tree roots that could have ecological implications.