<p>Rugda (<i>Astraeus hygrometricus</i>) is a wild edible ectomycorrhizal mushroom that serves as a seasonal non-timber forest product (NTFP) for tribal communities in Eastern India. This study examines Rugda harvesting as a gendered socio-ecological livelihood system, with particular attention to labor organization, income variation, market pathways, and seasonal ecological constraints. Data were collected from 150 tribal households during the monsoon harvesting season and analyzed using chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and regression models. Results show a statistically significant association between gender and task allocation (χ² = 16.82, <i>p</i> = 0.018), with women dominating harvesting and post-harvest activities. However, mean net income does not differ significantly between female-headed and male-headed households (<i>p</i> = 0.96), indicating economic parity despite differentiated labor roles. Harvest intensity emerges as the main driver of income variation. ANOVA and regression analyses show that net income increases significantly with harvest volume (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), explaining approximately 77% of the variance in income, whereas market pathway variables remain non-significant after controlling for harvest quantity. Phenological analysis confirms strong dependence on the monsoon, with peak availability in August, highlighting ecological constraints on extraction. The findings indicate that income outcomes are shaped more by production intensity than by marketing channel, while gendered labor structures remain central to system functioning. By integrating gender analysis, harvest intensity, and socio-ecological systems theory, the study contributes to human ecological research on forest-based mushroom livelihoods and sustainability under seasonal and market pressures.</p>