Wildlife Exemption in Texas | Learn how wildlife management in Texas maintains low ag taxes on land!

Texas landowners can maintain a wildlife exemption on land if they engage in active wildlife management. The land must meet certain requirements, such as having a current agricultural appraisal prior to switching to wildlife use.
Landowners can convert traditional agricultural or timber lands to wildlife management to maintain the same tax rate on their land. There are specific requirements to convert land to wildlife exemption, which is also referred to as wildlife tax valuation.
A requirement for wildlife exemption in Texas is that the land must be managed to propagate a sustaining breeding, migrating or wintering population of native wild animals. This includes native wildlife such as songbirds, doves, bats, owls, rabbits, deer and even invertebrates such as bees and butterflies. The management of exotic wildlife does not qualify for wildlife exemption.
Texas landowners must implement at least three of seven management practices on their land annually.
The practices include habitat control, erosion control, predator control, providing supplemental supplies of water, providing supplemental supplies of food, providing shelters, and making census counts to determine populations. Each of these practices has a variety of wildlife and habitat management activities that can be carried out on the land.
Land can qualify for wildlife tax valuation if it is instrumental in supporting a sustaining breeding, migrating or wintering population. A group of animals need not live on the land at all times, provided they regularly migrate across it or live there seasonally.
We can provide information to help determine the number of animals of a particular species that must group together to sustain the population. Property size is important in determining the wildlife species that are appropriate for management.
A landowner must perform at least three of seven wildlife management activities on the land annually to maintain a wildlife exemption. An owner may qualify by doing more than three practices but may not engage in fewer than three of the activities.
Many of the activities must take place at the appropriate scale, which is based on the wildlife appraisal region in which the property is located and the size of the property.
These activities must be clearly spelled out in a wildlife management plan and filed with the county appraisal district at the time when the land is converted from traditional agricultural use to wildlife management use.
A landowner must provide a detailed wildlife management plan to the county appraisal district. Activities and practices contained in the plan must be consistent with the activities and practices appropriate for the region in which the property is located.
Please contact us for assistance or feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Thank you!
Assistance with wildlife management plans:
www.wildlifeex...
Texas comptroller's guidelines for wildlife exemption:
comptroller.te...
Texas manual on appraisal of agricultural land:
comptroller.te...