Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Cherokee County
Cherokee County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 6, 2026
Annual report required every year; no posted date
Cherokee CAD requires a yearly wildlife update on TPWD form PWD-888 and inspects wildlife land every year. Its 2019 guide says the update is due April 30, but its wildlife conversion application says before March 1, with valuation removed if it is late; confirm the date with the district.
| Annual report required? | Yes, every year |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
| Source | Cherokee County Appraisal District (checked Nov. 6, 2026) |
What to keep for Cherokee County
Whether or not Cherokee 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 Cherokee County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Cherokee County Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation.
Cherokee CAD requires at least 3 animal units for livestock (for example 3 cow/calf pairs). Stocking rates are 1 AU per 2 acres on good (improved, intensively managed) pasture, 5 acres on average (native) pasture and 8 acres on poor pasture, so a cow/calf herd needs at least 6, 15 or 24 acres. Smaller tracts used with a larger qualified operation may still qualify.
| Minimum acres | 6 acres (grazing) |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | 3 animal units |
| Improved pasture | 2 acres per animal unit |
| Native pasture | 5 acres per animal unit |
| Hay | Hay production needs at least 7 acres, producing about 5 round bales or 60–70 square bales per acre per year; the district looks at fertilizer, lime, weed control and production records. |
| Beekeeping | Beekeeping needs 5–20 acres with at least 6 hives on the first 5 acres plus 1 hive for every 2.5 additional acres. |
| History and filing | Land must have been in qualifying use 5 of the preceding 7 years. Applications filed after April 30 carry a 10% penalty. |
| Leases and small tracts | Leased land can qualify; the owner should file a copy of the written lease with the application and still complete the history and operation sections. |
| Source | Cherokee CAD Guidelines for Productive Valuations (Productive Use Guide) · checked Nov. 6, 2026 |
An animal unit is one cow (or cow-calf pair); a horse counts as one, and about five goats or sheep make one, though some districts count them differently. See what Texas requires for ag valuation. Your appraisal district has the final say, so call them if anything here doesn’t match your letter.
Who to contact in Cherokee County
| Appraisal district | Cherokee County Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 107 E. 6th St., Rusk, TX 75785 (mail: P.O. Box 494, Rusk, TX 75785-0494) |
| Phone | (903) 683-2296 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Cherokee 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.