Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Dallas County
Dallas County wildlife report deadline
Checked November 5, 2026
Report rules not posted; call to confirm
Dallas CAD doesn’t post an annual wildlife report rule. Wildlife land must have had ag valuation the year before and needs a wildlife management plan. Plan on April 30 and call (214) 631-0910 to confirm.
| Annual report required? | Not posted; ask the district |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
| Wildlife minimum | No minimum acreage posted. The land must have qualified for ag use the year before, and a wildlife management plan is required. |
| Source | Dallas CAD Qualified Open Space Land Agricultural Guidelines (checked Nov. 5, 2026) |
What to keep for Dallas County
Whether or not Dallas 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 Dallas County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Dallas Central Appraisal District’s published standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation. The district uses 3 acres as the line between ag and hobby use and requires at least 3 animal units on pasture for most of the year. Coastal Bermuda carries 1 animal unit per 3–5 acres; native pasture 1 per 6–7 acres. Only acres actually used for ag qualify.
| Minimum acres | 3 acres |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | 3 animal units |
| Improved pasture | 3–5 acres per animal unit |
| Native pasture | 6–7 acres per animal unit |
| Hay | 10 acres, 2 cuttings a year; fertilize each spring and control weeds and brush. Native grass, or fields also grazed by cattle, need 1 cutting a year. |
| Beekeeping | 5–20 acres with at least 6 hives, registered with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. |
| Leases | Lease agreements can serve as proof of ag history. |
| Applying | Apply January 1–April 30 (up to 60 more days if you ask in writing); late filing until the roll is certified carries a 10% penalty. Needs ag use 5 of the past 7 years (5 straight inside city limits); attach 5 years of receipts, tax records, invoices or leases. |
| Source | Dallas CAD Qualified Open Space Land Agricultural Guidelines (Nov. 2021) · 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 Dallas County
| Appraisal district | Dallas Central Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 2949 N. Stemmons Fwy., Dallas, TX 75247 |
| Phone | (214) 631-0910 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Dallas 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.
Dallas County habitat: Blackland Prairies
Texas Parks and Wildlife places Dallas County in the Blackland Prairies ecoregion. Its Blackland Prairies 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 Dallas County’s standards.
Start your 30-day free trialWatch the demoDeadlines and rules come from each appraisal district's own published guidelines, checked November 5, 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.