Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Caldwell County
Caldwell County wildlife report deadline
Checked November 1, 2026
Every year, due January 31
Annual wildlife report with records is due every year before January 31.
| Annual report required? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Due date | January 31 |
| Source | Caldwell CAD guidelines (2025) |
What to keep for Caldwell County
Whether or not Caldwell County asks for a report this year, keep dated proof that you carried out at least three of the seven wildlife management practices in your plan:
- A log of each activity: the date, what you did, where and how much
- Dated photos of the work (feeders, water, brush piles, cleared brush)
- Receipts and invoices for feed, seed, materials and contractors
- Census sheets with dates, routes and numbers seen
Read our plain-English guide to the annual report (PWD-888) for the full 3-of-7 rule, or see deadlines for other counties.
Ag valuation in Caldwell County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Caldwell County Appraisal District’s published standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation. No flat minimum acreage; the district multiplies the 4 animal-unit minimum by acres per unit. That works out to 12 acres of improved pasture, 28 acres of open native pasture or 64 acres of mixed brush, not counting the homesite (typically 1 acre). Typical stocking is 3–7 acres per animal unit improved and 7–12 acres native.
| Minimum acres | 12 acres |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | 4 animal units |
| Improved pasture | 3–7 acres per animal unit |
| Native pasture | 7–12 acres per animal unit |
| Hay | At least 480 square bales or 24 round bales a year, based on 40 square or 2 round bales per acre. |
| Beekeeping | At least 6 colonies on at least 5 acres (5–20 acres allowed). Hives must be on the property 8 months of the year. |
| Leases | If land is leased, provide a copy of the lease with the history documents. |
| Applying | Owner must prove ag use for 5 of the 7 previous years, with documents for each year. File January 1–April 30 (up to 60 more days for good cause). Asks for livestock receipts, 2–3 feed receipts per year, Form 1040F, dated photos and any lease. |
| Source | Caldwell County Appraisal District – 1-D-1 Open Space Agricultural Qualification Requirements · checked Nov. 5, 2026 |
An animal unit is one cow (or cow-calf pair); a horse counts as one, and about five goats or sheep make one. See what Texas requires for ag valuation and the standards for other counties. Your appraisal district has the final say, so call them if anything here doesn’t match your letter.
Who to contact in Caldwell County
| Appraisal district | Caldwell County Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 211 Bufkin Ln., Lockhart, TX 78644 |
| Phone | (512) 398-5550 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Caldwell County |
The appraisal district decides your wildlife valuation and sets any report deadline, so call them if a letter or form doesn't match what's on this page. Your county AgriLife Extension office can help with a wildlife management plan.
Caldwell County habitat: Post Oak Savannah
Texas Parks and Wildlife places Caldwell County in the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion. Its Post Oak Savannah wildlife management guidelines set the minimum work for each practice. A few examples:
- Habitat control: Brush management: treat at least 10% of the plan area or 10 acres per year, whichever is smaller.
- Supplemental food: Feeders: at least 1 free-choice feeder per 320 acres in use during the recommended period, with feed of at least 16% crude protein.
- Supplemental water: Wildlife watering facility (well, trough, guzzler): at least one project per 10 years, or consistent water management at existing sites.
- Census counts: Spotlight counts: at least 3 counts, or at least 15 surveyed miles, completed each year.
Your own plan may set different targets. Log what you actually do against it, with dates and photos.
Never miss your county's deadline
Habitat Ledger keeps your practice logs, dated photos and receipts in one place, shows your county's report deadline on your dashboard, emails you before it's due, and prints your annual report. On ag land, it tracks head counts, hay and leases against Caldwell County’s standards.
Start your 30-day free trialWatch the demoDeadlines and rules come from each appraisal district's own published guidelines, checked November 1, 2026. Districts can change them, and your district's letters, forms and deadlines always apply. Habitat Ledger is not affiliated with any appraisal district or Texas Parks and Wildlife.