Does your land qualify?

For most Texas landowners the answer comes down to three questions. Here they are — with the fine print translated into English.

Question 01

Does the land have a 1-d-1 ag or timber valuation today?

Wildlife management is a conversion of an existing open-space valuation, not a new application from scratch. Check your appraisal notice or your county’s property search: you’re looking for an agricultural or timber productivity value on the land. Have it? You’ve cleared the biggest hurdle.

Question 02

Has the tract changed size since last year?

If your tract is the same size it was on January 1 of last year, there is no minimum acreage — the state ratio rules simply don’t apply. If the tract was reduced (you bought 25 acres out of a 200-acre ranch, or split land with family), your county’s wildlife-use ratio sets a minimum — commonly working out to roughly 12–50 acres depending on region.

Question 03

Will you actually do the practices?

The valuation is earned annually: at least 3 of the 7 practices, done at your ecoregion’s intensity, with records to prove it. If you can spend a handful of weekends a year on your land — filling feeders, checking water, running a camera survey — you can meet the bar comfortably.

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Two minutes. We’ll confirm your valuation status, county minimums, and the practices that fit your ground.

Common situations

Find yourself on this list.

Most eligibility questions are really one of these five stories.

“I just bought land that had an ag exemption.”

Good position — but act deliberately. The valuation doesn’t automatically follow the sale: you must file your own application with the appraisal district (by April 30) to keep it, and you can convert to wildlife at the same time. If you bought a piece of a larger ranch, check the tract-size rule above.

“The cattle lease ended and I don’t want another one.”

This is the classic conversion. Your ag valuation continues while the use changes to wildlife management — file the PWD‑885 with your 50‑129 between January 1 and April 30, start your three practices, and the cows never come back.

“We subdivided the family place.”

Tract reduced in size → the county’s wildlife-use ratio applies the year after the split. Many heirs still qualify — Hill Country minimums often land in the 12–35 acre range — but this is the one scenario where you should verify the number before planning. Our county pages and eligibility check cover it.

“My land lost its ag valuation a while back.”

Wildlife conversion needs a current 1-d-1 valuation, so you’ll first requalify the ordinary way: establish agricultural use to the degree of intensity typical for your area for 5 of the preceding 7 years, then convert. Slower — but very doable, and worth it. We’ll map the path for your county.

“Part of my land is my homestead.”

Normal and fine. The acre or so under your home carries its homestead exemption while the remaining open-space acreage carries the wildlife valuation. Districts handle the split routinely; your plan simply describes the managed acreage.

Still not sure?

Tell us your county and situation — the free check answers with your district’s actual rules, not generalities.

Check my land

The calendar

Deadlines that decide everything.

Date	What happens
January 1	Valuation date — your land’s use and qualification are judged as of this day each year.
Jan 1 – April 30	Filing window: submit Form 50‑129 with your PWD‑885 wildlife management plan to the county appraisal district to convert to (or newly claim) wildlife management use.
After April 30	Late filing is accepted until the appraisal roll is certified (typically mid-July) — with a 10% penalty on the tax savings for that year. Avoidable; avoid it.
Year-round	Perform and document your 3+ practices at the intensity your ecoregion requires.
On request (often annually)	Chief appraiser may request your PWD‑888 annual report. Respond by their stated deadline — with the records you’ve been keeping all along.

The stakes if it lapses

Losing qualification means market-value taxes going forward — and if the land’s use changes to non-agricultural, rollback taxes: the previous 3 years of tax savings plus 5% annual interest, due at once. On the 50-acre example from our pricing page, that’s roughly $28,500. How rollback works →

Fine print, translated

Eligibility FAQs

Do exotic animals or hunting leases affect eligibility?

Hunting can continue — recreational use and wildlife management coexist, and a lease doesn’t disqualify you. Your practices must target indigenous wild animals (whitetail, turkey, songbirds, quail…), so a high-fence axis operation alone won’t qualify, but native-focused management alongside exotics can.

Can I qualify with bees instead?

Beekeeping is its own 1-d-1 agricultural use (5–20 acres, with hive minimums) — a different route than wildlife management, and a good one for small tracts. If you’re between the two, our eligibility check compares them for your acreage.

Does the county have to approve my plan?

The chief appraiser reviews your application and plan and can ask questions or request changes. Approval is the norm when the plan matches TPWD’s ecoregion guidelines and the paperwork is complete and on time — which is exactly what we generate.

Is “wildlife exemption” even the right term?

Technically it’s a special appraisal (1-d-1 open-space valuation on the basis of wildlife management use), not an exemption. Everyone — including appraisal districts — says “wildlife exemption” anyway. We do too.

Two minutes to a real answer.

The free eligibility check reads your situation against your county’s actual rules — minimums, ratios, deadlines, and all.

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