Unique Ways to Make Money on Your Ranch
August 8, 2025Owning a ranch in Texas is about more than just land. It’s about heritage, open skies, and a way of life worth protecting. But it can also be a source of income – a way to support your land and legacy without compromising the values that make it special.
Whether you’re looking to diversify your revenue or make the most of what your land has to offer, here are a few creative ways to bring in income while keeping your place working and wild.
1. Turn Your Place into a Guest Ranch
People from all over are looking for authentic Texas experiences. Hosting guests for weekend getaways, family vacations, or even “working ranch” stays can be a great way to generate income. You don’t need fancy lodging or a big operation – just a few cozy rooms and genuine Southern hospitality can go a long way.
Landowners are dipping their toes into glamping, short for glamorous camping – a growing trend that offers travelers the beauty of the outdoors with a few more comforts than a sleeping bag. Some landowners are setting up canvas tents, portable restrooms, and string lights for weekend getaways or special events.
Others are listing primitive campsites through sites like Hipcamp or Tentrr. This is a flexible, seasonal option that doesn’t require permanent structures or big investment.
Offer trail rides, ranch tours, or just a quiet place to unplug under a star-filled sky. Experiences like catching a fish in a stocked pond or hiking to the top of a canyon can leave lasting impressions – and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the land itself.
2. Partner with Explore Ranches
Explore Ranches is a unique platform that connects travelers with private landowners who want to share their property in a thoughtful and sustainable way. Unlike other rental platforms, Explore Ranches only features ranches, meaning your listing won’t get lost in a sea of vacation homes.
“When people come to the Explore Ranches site, they are looking for something specific,” says co-founder Allison Ryan. “It’s the experience—not just a place to stay.”
Founded by landowners, Explore Ranches was created to help families keep ranches intact and offer non-consumptive hospitality stays that provide financial support while preserving legacy and conservation values. “As we move through this next generational transfer of land,” Ryan explains, “keeping families connected to the history of their ranch will be key in keeping it from being broken up into smaller tracts and sold.”
Landowners maintain full control over availability and pricing. “We ask for a minimum of 18 nights a year,” Ryan says, “so there’s a lot of flexibility to ensure the family still gets plenty of use out of the property.” The platform also emphasizes conservation and works only with landowners who share those stewardship values.
“You don’t care about the things you don’t know about,” Ryan adds, “and you don’t protect the things you don’t care about. It starts with the experience.”
3. List Your Property with BirdDog for Hunting Access and More
If you’re open to the idea of leasing your land for hunting but want structure, security, and support, BirdDog might be the perfect fit. This tech-enabled platform helps landowners monetize their land through guided hunts, short-term leases, and much more.
“BirdDog is building something that hasn’t existed before,” says Michael Cotter, Chief Revenue Officer. “It’s a platform where landowners can manage and monetize their property with purpose and on their terms.”
BirdDog simplifies what used to be informal, often uncertain handshake agreements and replaces them with a streamlined system that includes built-in legal protections, integrated payment tools, and customer vetting. “We give landowners the ability to create listings with clear pricing, custom rules, and scheduling tools that allow them to maintain full control of who accesses their land, when, and how.”
The flexibility is a major selling point. Landowners can choose from a variety of access models from day hunts to corporate packages and still maintain personal use of the land. For example, Andy Vaughn of Circle V Ranch in Cisco, Texas, brought in over $60,000 in additional revenue through BirdDog in one year, all while keeping his lifestyle and conservation goals intact.
And BirdDog doesn’t stop at hunting. The platform already supports a suite of monetization strategies including carbon credits, farming leases, and tax deduction tools like Section 180, transforming underutilized land into a high-performing asset, economically and ecologically.
4. Offer Guided Horseback Rides
If you already have horses and scenic trails, guided horseback riding presents a meaningful way to share your land while generating steady income. It’s a low-impact business with high guest satisfaction, offering visitors an immersive way to experience wide-open landscapes, native wildlife, and the quiet rhythm of ranch life.
Across Texas, successful guest ranches have built strong reputations by offering everything from one-hour scenic rides to full-day adventures. Some even take it further with upscale options, like sunset rides that include drinks and charcuterie or multi-day treks that combine riding with storytelling and backcountry comfort. Visitors and guests often yearn for well-guided, authentic experiences that connect them to the land in a tangible, memorable way.
Horseback riding is not just about the ride – it’s about creating moments of awe and connection, whether it’s trotting through wildflower meadows or pausing at a hilltop overlook. For ranchers, it’s a way to diversify income while sharing a tradition that’s deeply tied to Texas heritage.
5. Raise Exotic or Heritage Animals
Ranching exotic species such as axis deer, blackbuck, gemsbok, kudu, impala, nilgai, and red stag offers a distinctive pathway to diversify income streams, and it’s rooted deeply in Texas ranching history.
As the Texas exotic game industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar sector, privately owned high-fenced ranches now provide year-round hunting and breeding opportunities that align with conservation, economic, and land use goals. Exotic animals, categorized as livestock rather than wildlife, can be hunted all year long removing a barrier faced by native species like whitetail deer.
Landowners such as Aden Lasseter of Caveman Wildlife highlight the ecological and financial benefits: “These animals eat a whole lot less grass and typically drink less water. If we were running cows, we have to haul out a lot more water.”
Texas breeds a wide variety of these animals, which have adapted surprisingly well to local landscapes. Exotic hunting operations typically employ “safari-style” methods using off-road vehicles or elevated platforms to offer immersive, guided experiences with intentional conservation oversight.
Consider exotic and heritage species not only for the novelty, but as part of a bigger stewardship story where land health, legacy, and financial resilience coexist.
Keep It Wild, Keep It Working
Every ranch is different, and so are the ways you can use it. The key is finding income opportunities that align with your values, match your land’s capacity, and help you keep it in the family for generations to come.
Whether you’re offering lodging under the stars, sharing your land with responsible hunters, or tapping into smart tools for maximizing your land’s value, there are more options than ever to earn income without losing your connection to what matters.
At Colorado River Land Trust, we’re here to support landowners who care deeply about their land and want to make it last. If you’re thinking about long-term stewardship or want to explore what’s possible, let’s talk.