Wildlife exemption?

[El Paisano]

I cut all of the merchantable timber off of a place last year. I just talked with the appraisal district yesterday and got the forms to fill out. I have been working with the TPWD biologist for several years but need to update the plan and put it on the right forms. In Houston County you have to have an Ag/Timber exemption the year before you go to wildlife.

[Stan R]

In Madison county I think it takes a minimum of 14 acres. I almost did it this year when the guy that bales my hay retired.

[curtintex]

I grow hay and timber. I like the Ag exemption. My county makes it pretty easy to transfer over to wildlife, but my Ag exemption is legitimate, easy to prove out and keep up and if you see a cow on my place, she's trespassing.

[Grayson]

No sales tax exemption for wildlife valuation? The sales tax savings on the ag exemption is a bonus.

Not entirely true. Your property can be full wildlife exemption but that doesn't mean you don't farm parts of it.

[cehorn]

When I went to wildlife I drew up a management plan, sent it to the biologist for my area (TPWD employee) who looked over it, made some suggestions for changes and then submitted it along with the other paperwork.
No brainer for me. There are 7 activities of which you need to perform a minimum of 3. Supplemental feeding of wildlife (deer feeders/minerals/food plots), shelters (wood duck boxes and bluebird houses) and preadtor control (feral hogs are considered predators)
So basically if you feed the deer, kill pigs and put up some bird houses you are off to a real good start

We haven't done it on our new place in Brown County yet but did it for years on our old place in Uvalde County. The only thing I'll add is shelters don't have to be man made. If you clear some brush and leave it piled up where birds, etc can live in it that counts as shelters. At least it did in Uvalde County. Another thing I'll add. It isn't just receipts that you can provide. We took pictures of our feeders, water stations, brush piles, food plots, snares, coon traps, pig traps, dead pigs, dead coons, dead coyotes and some dead deer. We attached all of that to our form and it helped quite a bit to provide proof of the 3+ criteria.

Additional question, our place is majority in Brown County, ~1000 ac, and partially in Comanche County, ~90 ac. Anybody know if we have to do anything with Comanche County or can we do it all thru Brown County? Shouldn't be a big deal either way but I'm guessing we may need to send the paperwork to both places?

[RR 314]

I honestly cannot recall if there was an annual reporting requirement for Ag. I guess there was, but really do not remember. We switched to wildlife perhaps 10 years ago and sure like not dealing with cows. That being said, I spoke with one of my neighbors several years ago and asked him if he got out of the cattle business and he stated he did. Asked if he switched over to wildlife and he stated he did not and he said he was just going to keep it in Ag. Said people do it all the time. :-). Asked if he was going to let someone flash graze every now and again and he said no plans to do so. :-)

[SmTx]

I honestly cannot recall if there was an annual reporting requirement for Ag. I guess there was, but really do not remember. We switched to wildlife perhaps 10 years ago and sure like not dealing with cows. That being said, I spoke with one of my neighbors several years ago and asked him if he got out of the cattle business and he stated he did. Asked if he switched over to wildlife and he stated he did not and he said he was just going to keep it in Ag. Said people do it all the time. :-). Asked if he was going to let someone flash graze every now and again and he said no plans to do so. :-)

I don't think I've gotten one yearly, but the tax office will definitely send voluntary surveys asking me how much I've made off of AG. They go into the trash.

[Shane]

Not entirely true. Your property can be full wildlife exemption but that doesn't mean you don't farm parts of it.

Makes sense.

I grow hay and timber. I like the Ag exemption. My county makes it pretty easy to transfer over to wildlife, but my Ag exemption is legitimate, easy to prove out and keep up and if you see a cow on my place, she's trespassing.

Same for me, except just hay. No timber. Other than hay, I'm mostly managing it for wildlife. But I don't see an advantage to moving from ag to wildlife exemption in my situation. Taxes would be the same, and I'd have to file an annual report and check boxes for wildlife exemption. I don't have to do any of that currently for my ag exemption. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If I had to have cattle to keep an ag exemption and I wanted to get out of the cattle business, the wildlife deal would be a no-brainer. Just depends on your situation.

[TKRanch]

Also, remember, Wildlife does not exclude you from running cattle. Many Wildlife plans actually incorporate cattle for natural grazing if size permits. It likely allows you to reduce the number of cattle needed as you would be primarily wildlife. CADs are generally very open and willing to help, just stop in and ask, work with an appraiser and do what they say and it will be great. Valuation will be the same as cattle and loss of sales tax is minimal when you put the numbers to it.

You can also switch back easily since the valuations are the same should you choose to do so, just have to update the CAD to your intentions.

[Huntingfool]

Not entirely true. Your property can be full wildlife exemption but that doesn't mean you don't farm parts of it.

so the state will give an ag exemption number on a MLD property???

[TKRanch]

so the state will give an ag exemption number on a MLD property???

Ag is separate from MLD. MLD is with Parks and Wildlife, AG is with your CAD

[Top Of Texas]

Another slight misconception is that the actual requirements really cannot vary by county. The minimum acreage required (only if the property is reduced in size relative to the previous tax year) does vary by county, but is not arbitrary; it's based on a formula that incorporates county density and property size. But, a minimum acreage only applies if a property has been reduced in size. The requirements are that a property must be currently in ag, and you must perform a management activity in 3 of the 7 different categories. That does not vary by county, and can't (legislatively-mandated). A county can be less restrictive (for example not requiring an annual report or waiving the 'currently in ag' requirement), but not more restrictive. So, the actual 'requirements' do not vary by county.

Quoting in hopes that more folks will read it, since it's the truth.

[Huntingfool]

Ag is separate from MLD. MLD is with Parks and Wildlife, AG is with your CAD

Sorry! I was on another thread about MLD ranches and said MLD rather than Wildlife exemption!