Range Livestock Herder
Richard Smith Ranch
Brackettville, TX
$2,132.41 per month, plus room and board
SeasonalHousing
Outdoor Jobs in Texas
2 open listings · updated Oct 29, 2026
Median posted pay $13.74/hr (4 listings) · 29% include housing · Pay Report
The main outdoor jobs in Texas are ranch work, hunting and fishing guide work, and wildland firefighting. Cattle drive the ranch side: USDA counted 12.1 million cattle and calves in Texas on January 1, 2026, including 4.045 million beef cows. Start with ranch hand jobs in Texas. Guide work follows the Texas Parks and Wildlife calendar. For 2026 to 2027, dove season opens September 1, the general white-tailed deer season runs November 7 to January 3 in the North Zone and to January 17 in the South Zone, and duck season closes January 31, 2027.
More About Outdoor Jobs in Texas
Wildland fire hiring in Texas works differently than in the West. Texas A&M Forest Service posts permanent jobs online, but it does not post seasonal jobs; you contact a local office about part-time work during periods of high fire danger. Federal fire jobs go through USAJOBS, and the agency notes that few summer firefighters are hired in the southern states. The basic S-130/190 course is offered at academies in Lufkin in May and Bastrop in October. Read how wildland firefighter hiring works before you apply.
The licensing rule that matters most is for fishing guides. If you accompany, assist or transport anyone fishing in Texas public waters for pay, you need a TPWD fishing guide license: $132 for freshwater, $210 for a resident all-water license or $1,050 for a nonresident all-water license. TPWD lists no hunting guide license; landowners who lease hunting rights for pay need a hunting lease license instead. On the coast, HUD’s fiscal 2026 fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Aransas County is $1,072. See fishing guide jobs in Texas.
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General Ranch Hand
Glass Properties GP LLCSterling City, TX$15.67/hrSeasonalHousing
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Ranch Hand
Killam Ranch PropertiesFreer, TXFull-timeClosed
Questions About Outdoor Jobs in Texas
How many outdoor jobs in Texas are open right now?
14 listings are live on WildWork as of October 29, 2026. 6 state their pay and 4 include housing.
What do outdoor jobs in Texas pay?
The median posted rate is $13.74/hr across 4 current listings that state pay in that unit, with posted rates from $11.81/hr to $15.79/hr. These are advertised rates; tips, overtime and room and board are extra where the listing says so.
Do outdoor jobs in Texas come with housing?
29% of current listings say the employer provides housing, free or at a charge, and 7% include meals. Each listing shows whether housing is included and what it costs when the employer says.
Do you need a license to be a fishing guide in Texas?
Yes, on public waters. TPWD requires a fishing guide license for anyone who, for compensation, accompanies, assists or transports a person fishing in the public waters of the state. The freshwater license costs $132. The all-water license is $210 for residents and $1,050 for nonresidents and is sold at TPWD law enforcement offices. In the 2025 license year TPWD sold 1,688 resident all-water and 1,222 freshwater fishing guide licenses.
Does Texas require a hunting guide license?
No hunting guide license appears on TPWD’s hunting or commercial license lists. The license Texas requires sits with the landowner: a hunting lease license for any landowner or agent who leases hunting rights for pay. It costs $79 for 1 to 499 acres, $147 for 500 to 999 acres and $252 for 1,000 acres or more, and it must be displayed on the property.
How do you get a wildland fire job in Texas?
Texas A&M Forest Service lists permanent openings online but does not post seasonal jobs, so ask your local office about part-time work during periods of high fire danger. Federal agencies hire through USAJOBS, though most summer seasonal jobs are in western states. Many agencies require the S-130/190 course, offered in Lufkin in May and Bastrop in October, plus a physical fitness test. Once hired, you receive the red card that certifies you as a basic wildland firefighter.
When is hunting guide season in Texas?
It follows the TPWD calendar, which for 2026 to 2027 starts with dove on September 1. Archery deer opens October 3, the general white-tailed deer season runs November 7 to January 3 in the North Zone and to January 17 in the South Zone, and quail runs November 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Duck season in the North and South zones closes January 31, 2027, and spring turkey runs from March 20 to May 16, 2027, depending on zone.
Sources: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Fishing Licenses and Packages: Fishing Guide Licenses (Outdoor Annual, accessed Sep 13, 2026); Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Hunting Licenses: Hunting Lease Licenses (Outdoor Annual, accessed Sep 13, 2026); Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Commercial Licenses (accessed Sep 13, 2026); Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 2026 – 2027 Hunting Season Dates; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, License Sales Volume workbook (2024 and 2025 license years); Texas A&M Forest Service, TICC Fire Jobs: Wildland Firefighting Opportunities in Texas (accessed Sep 13, 2026); USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Cattle (released January 30, 2026); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY 2026 Fair Market Rent Documentation: Aransas County, TX.