Well Judy they don't hire you per day - you actually work for the companies for years and years on a contract basis - paid per day - continuous work - you actually have to be pretty versed in real estate law - it requires finding mineral rights etc owned by owners back.  Requires extensive research backwards.  It has nothing to do with the sale of land or even the current owner but rather who owns all the mineral rights because those would be the ones that would give the gas company or other company the right to drill on the land.  When people sell land sometimes they retain either all mineral rights or a portion thereof - 1/4 etc.  Right now there are a lot of Texans wishing they did - it pays big.