Pay taxes on what your land produces — not what it's worth.
Wildlife and agricultural valuations can dramatically lower your Texas property taxes. We help landowners qualify, manage the required work, and stay compliant year after year.
How Texas land valuations work.
Most property in Texas is taxed on its market value — what it would sell for. But land used for agriculture or wildlife management can be taxed on its productivity value instead, which is usually a small fraction of market value. The savings can be substantial, especially on rural acreage.
People call these "exemptions," but they're really special open-space valuations. There are two main paths — agricultural and wildlife — and the right one depends on your land, your goals, and how hands-on you want to be. We help you figure out which fits and get it done.
Wildlife Exemption
A wildlife valuation lets you keep the same low taxes as an ag valuation while managing your land for native wildlife instead of livestock or crops. No cattle, no hay baling — just active stewardship of the land for the species that belong there.
It's the ideal path for recreational and absentee landowners, hunters, and conservation-minded owners. Converting from ag to wildlife keeps your open-space valuation in place, so it doesn't trigger rollback taxes.
Qualifying requires a wildlife management plan filed with your appraisal district, plus ongoing qualifying activities each year — which is exactly the work we do.
See how our management plans work →Qualifying activities
Texas requires you to actively perform at least three of these seven practices:
- Habitat control (brush & vegetation management)
- Erosion control
- Predator control
- Supplemental water
- Supplemental food & food plots
- Supplemental shelter
- Census & population counts
Common qualifying uses
- Raising livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)
- Growing crops or hay
- Timber production
- Beekeeping
- Other recognized ag use
Minimum acreage and intensity-of-use standards vary by county and appraisal district.
Agricultural Exemption
An ag valuation taxes your land based on its agricultural production value rather than market value — significant savings for property actively used for farming, ranching, or timber.
It typically requires a history of qualifying agricultural use and a minimum intensity of activity, both of which vary by county. For many landowners, the ag valuation is also the starting point: you generally need it in place before you can convert to a wildlife valuation.
We help you understand what your county requires and put your property on the path to qualify.
Ag vs. wildlife, at a glance.
Both deliver the same kind of tax savings. The difference is how you use and manage the land.
Agricultural
- Requires active farming, ranching, or timber
- Ongoing inputs — livestock, equipment, labor
- Needs a qualifying history of ag use
- Often the required first step before wildlife
Wildlife
- No livestock or crops required
- Manage for native wildlife instead
- Requires a plan + 3 of 7 qualifying activities
- Converting from ag won't trigger rollback taxes
From "do I qualify?" to year-round compliance.
Eligibility Review
We look at your land, current valuation, and county requirements to tell you honestly what's possible.
The Plan
For wildlife, we build the management plan your appraisal district requires — tailored to your property and species.
The Work
We carry out the qualifying activities on the ground — habitat, water, food, erosion control, and more.
Annual Compliance
We help you document the yearly activity that keeps your valuation in good standing, year after year.
What landowners ask first.
It varies by property and county, but the savings are usually substantial — because your land is taxed on its productivity value instead of market value, the taxable value often drops to a small fraction of what it would otherwise be. On rural acreage near growing areas, that difference can be dramatic.
Generally, yes. Your land typically must already qualify for an agricultural (open-space) valuation before you can convert it to a wildlife valuation. We'll check where your property stands and map the path from there.
No. Because the land keeps its open-space valuation when you convert from ag to wildlife, the conversion itself doesn't trigger rollback taxes. Your tax treatment stays in place — you're just changing how you qualify for it.
It depends on your county and appraisal district — minimum acreage and intensity standards aren't the same everywhere, and wildlife conversions can carry their own size requirements. We confirm the specifics for your exact property before you commit to anything.
Texas recognizes seven categories: habitat control, erosion control, predator control, supplemental water, supplemental food, supplemental shelter, and census counts. You need to actively perform at least three of them each year, and document that you did.
If the land no longer meets the requirements, it can lose the special valuation and you may owe rollback taxes for prior years. That's why the annual activity and recordkeeping matter — and why we help clients stay on top of it instead of scrambling at filing time.
Requirements are set by your county appraisal district and can change. We help you understand and qualify for these valuations, but this page is general information, not formal tax or legal advice — we'll confirm the specifics for your property.
Serving landowners across North, East & Central Texas
Find out what your land qualifies for.
Call or text Jake for a straight answer on your options and what it would take to lower your property taxes — no pressure, no obligation.