I'm wondering if it is legal to outfit hunts on public land in Texas. Is there some sort of license I would need or could I just run my cameras out there and charge people for the ride and the info. I guess it would be more of a guide service more then anything. Any help would be appreciated I'm just trying to find a way to spend more time in the woods and keep my wife off my back by making a little money.
Thanks
James

Someone would have to be real city to pay you to guide on public land in Texas.

That's what I'm hopping for lol. I don't care how much I make as long as my wife is happy and I get to spend more time in the woods.

People pay guides to take them fishing all the time on public lakes. What would the difference be on public hunting land.

Sounds good to me. I'm not looking to make a fortune just looking to keep the wife happy. Well guys I will be now booking trips lol

Sounds like a good idea! Pay for a little info as long as your cams aren't taken!Just have to remember it is public and can't claim as territory come hunting season.

SERIOUSLY? you have got to be kidding me! and what types of animals will you be guiding hunts for and how much experience do you have?

Well I would only charge 200 for any wight tail I find and put them in the right spot. I have hunted all my live and could find deer in the middle of down town traffic. I'm not going to tell anyone they will kill a deer or tell them there is 190in buck. All I will do is put in the work they my not have the time for. It will be from my stands I will run my cameras find the bucks. I'm not looking to make a ton of money just want to maybe help someone kill a deer.

The 200 is only if you killed a buck

good luck with that

Big difference that no one has bothered to think over. There are numerous states that have nothing but public land ie Colorado, Wyoming NM ect Texas is a whole new ball game. We are quite opposite those states as 95 percent of our land is private.

Can public land hunts be run in Texas? Not to the success as the private sector, imo People go up north all the time to hunt big game in those public states. I don't see many doing it here, for one success rates and two, abundance of game, AR restrictions, the hordes of numbers of jackwagons ect Best of luck, though

Outfitting/Guiding on Public Land in Texas will not work.

Some of the reason have already been listed, such as what was in 7Mag's post, but also because of the way the variuos pulic lands in Texas are governed.

Public Lakes are a completely different matter when it comes to fishing.

Being an outfitter/guide on National Forest/BLM lands in Colorado, Wyoming and other states, requires the operator to obtain permits that allow them, as a guide/outfitter, exclusive hunting rights to blocks of such land, But, only as a guide/outfitter operating in a defind area of that land.

A private citizen can go into that area and hunt on their own and the guide/outfitter can't do a thing about it.

Another guide/outfitter tries to move in on the area, they are opening themselves up for a world of hurt from the officials that oversee that area if the offending party is caught.

I really am not sure what T.P.& W.s or the C.O.E.'s stance is on such an undertaking, if I am not mistaken, private, commercial activites on public land in Texas is usually frowned upon from what I have seen.

This is all just an opinion.

Most of it is just to be able to spend more time in the woods. If someone dose come out and is lucky enough to kill a buck then my wife will have nothing to say. Its more to get out and enjoy the woods and look for deer

If its all about just getting out and kicking rocks, why not just do that on your own? Why guide/outfitt hunters?? You will soon learn that it is not all you may think it is. Your charging a nominal fee to guide, correct? People will want their moneys worth, whether small fee or large. I just cant see this taking off and having any real legitimate success with it. It may be more of a pain in the behind then you can imagine

Guides run duck hunts on public land all the time. Fork and Caddo for example...

I don't think you would have very many repeat customers. Once you show them the good areas they will just go there on their own. So the next time you take a customer, there is the last customer right where you showed him to hunt.

Well the reason I want to do it is so my wife thinks I'm trying to make money at it not just burning gas all year lol. The idea is to put in the work for them locating the deer checking the wind placing the stands (I know that can't stay up). Not worried about all the work I'm going to do it anyways just would like to convince my wife I trying to make money at it.

I am still trying to recover from a divorce with my wife of seventeen years two years after the fact because of hunting and fishing. you got your work cut out for you.. good luck and i hope it works out for ya

Sounds like you need a little more scene control, james.

Well KeithTT claims he calls in up to 20 turkeys a day on public.

That is not Public land, those are Public Lakes, and waterfowl hunting is a bunch different that hunting deer.

I am not saying it is impossible, but doing hunts for deer/feral hog/turkey, is different than waterfowl.

On most Public Land in Texas, there is a 72 hour time limit for setting a blind. Also you can't bait, and from my limited experience hunting public Land in Texas, killing a deer, any deer on public land is a big accomplishement.

I have a lease that I hunt but I like getting out and walk in the woods and see new spots and help other hunters out. More then anything I would like to just get back what I put in for gas. The lease I am on is over 36,000 acres but I have walk holes in all my boots out there. If someone would just pay me back for the gas I would but in all the work. I have a 14ft boat and live by lake livingston but know very little about duck hunting. Its all about the pre hunt for me now on my lease you can't move bow stands you have to hunt by your box stand so I just want to hunt and help other hunters.
James

would make more $ by talking private landowners into giving hunters access to public lands for a small fee and splitting it with the landowners.

fail

not on my part..we have folks offering nice money to get access to public land.