TLDR: Jason Hawk, the beloved bladesmith from History Channel’s Mountain Men, passed away on January 28, 2025, at age 50 after a courageous four-year battle with cancer. After leaving the show in 2020 due to his diagnosis, Jason fought through multiple rounds of treatment before the cancer returned in 2024. His son Kamui has continued his father’s legacy at Outlaw Forge Works.
Mountain Men has been a hit show on the History Channel for years. It follows men and their families living in mountain ranges across the United States, hunting and surviving off the land.
Jason Hawk was one of those men with considerable screen time, captivating audiences with his master bladesmithing skills and his commitment to teaching his children survival techniques. His recent absence from the cast sparked questions among fans, and the answer is heartbreaking.
Who Was Jason Hawk?
Jason hailed from Arkansas, where he spent most of his early years. His Facebook page indicates that he lived in Montana while attending Montana State University. Despite living a relatively simple life and not taking advantage of many modern amenities, Jason had the opportunity to visit many places.
His blade forging skills allowed Jason to travel as far as Japan’s countryside. Jason, a true creator at heart, was an expert bladesmith and had been making knives for over twenty years.
He operated under the banner of Jason Hawk’s Outlaw Forge Works, emphasizing his skill as a master craftsman who could transform scavenged metal, wood, and bone into functional tools and beautiful blades.
Jason Was No Stranger to History Channel Fans
Hawk previously appeared on another show on the History Channel. Cameras originally followed Jason and Mary around their vast estate in Arizona for the series “No Man’s Land.” The show was not well received by the audience, but Jason had proven himself interesting enough a character to feature on another off-the-grid series.
After leaving the upper Sonoran Desert for the Ozarks in Arkansas, the hunter joined the Mountain Men cast in the 5th season in 2016. He brought a unique perspective to the show, focusing on craftsmanship and the maker aesthetic rather than just trapping and hunting.
His segments often highlighted the challenges of heat, drought, and resource scarcity in the desert and Ozarks, providing geographic diversity to a show previously dominated by frozen wilderness survival.
Jason remained a central figure on Mountain Men through Season 9, which concluded in 2020. His five-season tenure made him one of the show’s most memorable cast members, known equally for his technical skill and his dedication to passing survival knowledge to the next generation.
Jason Hawk’s Children
If you’re familiar with the show, you may know that Jason had three children: son Kamui “Kai” and daughters River and Madeline “Maddie.” Fourteen-year-old Kai was particularly determined to continue in his father’s footsteps. Aside from learning to survive on the land, he was also interested in learning more about forging blades and blacksmithing.
The show documented Jason training his children in survival skills, with Season 7, Episode 9 featuring Jason teaching River hunting techniques. This intergenerational transfer of knowledge became a core theme of Jason’s storylines, emphasizing the importance of preserving traditional skills and self-reliance.
We don’t know much about Kai’s mother or childhood, but his involvement in his father’s life was evident from Jason’s Facebook page and their on-screen interactions.
Why Did Jason Hawk Leave Mountain Men?
Jason was diagnosed with cancer at age 45 in late 2020, and he needed to focus on his health instead of continuing to film the wilderness survival show. However, contrary to speculation that he left voluntarily, his wife Mary Fricchione later confirmed that their contract with the History Channel was “not renewed.”
This distinction is important, as it meant the family lost their primary income source at the exact moment they faced mounting medical bills.
Initially, his doctor advised six weeks of intensive chemotherapy and radiation five days a week followed by more aggressive chemotherapy for four to five months.
In the event that the tumor had shrunk sufficiently after chemo, Jason would have surgery. The initial diagnosis revealed an advanced but localized malignant tumor, and the recommended treatment protocol was designed to shrink it enough to attempt surgical removal.
Unfortunately, Jason was not the only unlucky cast member to have been struck with such devastating news. Fans of the show still remember what happened to Preston Roberts, another beloved Mountain Men star who died from cancer complications in 2017.
Financial Hardship and Community Support
Likely resulting from the logistical challenges around Jason’s cancer treatments, History Channel did not renew his contract for Mountain Men.
With the earnings from the show being the only source of income for Jason and his family, it was a devastating blow. Jason and his wife, Mary, had to set up a GoFundMe page to help cover their medical bills in his battle with cancer.
The initial fundraising goal was set at $130,000, reflecting the family’s lack of comprehensive health insurance and the staggering cost of oncological care in the United States. By January 2021, the campaign had raised approximately $46,251 from 487 donors.
The donor list testified to the parasocial relationships formed through the television screen, with fans contributing amounts ranging from $50 to $2,000, often leaving messages of support referencing the show.
Mary Hawk said that her husband’s cancer diagnosis had been a humbling experience for the family. She explained that Jason was unable to return to the show because of his health concerns, describing how the diagnosis forced them to admit “we can’t do this alone,” a stark departure from the self-reliance ethos that had defined their on-screen persona.
Prior to their appearance on Mountain Men, the family lived off the land, taking on the occasional odd job or selling knives.
The 2021 Death Hoax Explained
A critical point of confusion for Mountain Men fans involves a widespread but false belief that Jason Hawk died in September 2021. This rumor stemmed from a tragic coincidence of naming that was amplified by search engines and social media.
On September 26, 2021, a different man named Jason Alan Hawk passed away in Bainbridge, Ohio, at the age of 42. Despite clear biographical differences (the Ohio Jason was born in 1979, had different children, and lived in a different state), fans of Mountain Men mistakenly flooded that obituary’s guestbook with condolences intended for the reality star.
Comments like “I have watched the TV series Mountain Men for several years” appeared on the wrong Jason Hawk’s memorial page.
This created a “false death” record in the digital ecosystem. For nearly three years, searches for “Jason Hawk Mountain Men death” would surface the 2021 Ohio obituary, leading many to believe the star had already passed. In reality, the TV personality was alive during this time, likely in a period of remission or ongoing treatment in Arkansas.
The confusion underscores how easily misinformation spreads online, especially regarding reality TV personalities.
The 2024 Relapse and Final Battle
After a period of relative silence from 2022 to 2023, during which Jason managed his condition privately and worked when able, the situation deteriorated catastrophically in the summer of 2024. On July 2, 2024, Jason collapsed at home.
He was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, Arkansas, presenting with severe dehydration, dizziness, and a weight loss of approximately 20 pounds.
Jason Hawk lived by the forge, crafting beauty from metal and teaching his children the old ways. Though he was ultimately claimed by cancer, he left behind a legacy that transcends reality television: a son carrying on his craft, daughters who learned his survival skills, and countless fans who were inspired by his dedication to family, creativity, and the wilderness.
The Ozark Outlaw may be gone, but his spirit lives on through Outlaw Forge Works and in the hearts of those who watched him master both iron and dust.
The family initially attributed these symptoms to a stomach virus affecting the household, but upon arrival at the hospital, a CT scan revealed the worst-case scenario.
The cancer had returned with “suspicious tissue” visible on his lungs and in his abdomen. Scar tissue and a tumor mass had “encased and blocked his lower intestine,” requiring immediate surgical intervention.
Surgeons performed a procedure around July 5, 2024, to bypass the intestinal blockage. This surgery was palliative, intended to restore digestive function rather than remove the cancer. The family was once again thrust into financial peril, noting that they were “between health insurance providers, so all of the hospital expenses are out of pocket.”
A new GoFundMe campaign titled “Join Jason Hawk’s Battle for Recovery” was launched, receiving support from loyal fans and notably from Warm Springs Productions (the company behind Mountain Men), who donated $1,000.
By the fall of 2024, medical options had evaporated. Mary revealed that Jason was “not eligible for the genetic treatments” that might have offered a cure. The oncology team offered palliative chemotherapy, but Jason, prioritizing quality of life over prolonged suffering, opted out.
He enrolled in home hospice care, continuing to work in his knife shop when able and using “home and folk remedies” to manage his symptoms.
In December 2024, a sharp decline occurred. Jason became bed and chair-bound, unable to stand for more than a minute due to metastasis in his lungs, abdomen, liver, and lymph nodes. On January 4, 2025, Mary posted a heartbreaking update describing the struggle to “pay the bills” and the emotional toll of watching her husband “fade and suffer.”
Jason Hawk’s Death: January 28, 2025
Jason Hawk’s courageous battle with cancer came to an end on January 28, 2025. He passed away at the age of 50, surrounded by his family in Arkansas. His death was confirmed by updates to Mountain Men’s official records and memorial pages, which listed his cause of death as cancer.
He is survived by his wife Mary and his three children: Kamui (Kai), River, and Madeline. The legacy of Jason Hawk’s Outlaw Forge Works has been taken up by his son Kamui, who continues the blade-making tradition taught to him by his father, ensuring that Jason’s craftsmanship and knowledge will live on in the next generation.
Jason’s death adds to a somber list of Mountain Men cast members who have passed away. Like Preston Roberts before him, Jason was a beloved figure whose illness and death rallied the community.
The recurrence of such tragedies highlights a harsh reality: while these men could master the wilderness and survive in the harshest conditions, they remained vulnerable to the biological realities that no amount of self-reliance can overcome.
Remembering the Ozark Outlaw
From 2016 to 2020, Jason Hawk provided millions of viewers with a window into a life of rugged independence and artistic craftsmanship. He forged steel, hunted in the desert, navigated the Ozarks with remarkable competence, and taught his children the skills necessary for subsistence living.
His segments on Mountain Men showcased not just survival, but the art of creation, the transformation of raw materials into tools of beauty and function.
However, when the cameras turned off in 2020, he faced a terminal diagnosis without the armor of health insurance or a steady income. His story reveals the precarious nature of reality TV fame and the vulnerability of those who live on the margins of modern society.
The same self-reliance that made for compelling television became a liability when confronted with the American healthcare system and the realities of catastrophic illness.
The outpouring of support through GoFundMe campaigns, with donations from fans and even the production company that had once employed him, demonstrated the genuine connection Jason had built with his audience.
Comments from donors revealed that people saw him not just as entertainment, but as a teacher, an inspiration, and a friend they had come to know through their screens.
