Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Ellis County
Ellis County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 5, 2026
Report rules not posted; call to confirm
Ellis Appraisal District doesn't post its wildlife annual report rules online. It asks landowners to call for wildlife rules, so plan on April 30 and call (972) 937-3552 to confirm.
| Annual report required? | Not posted; ask the district |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
| Wildlife minimum | 12.5 acres. The land must have qualified for ag use the year before, and a wildlife management plan is required. |
| Source | Ellis Appraisal District Ag General Information (checked Nov. 5, 2026) |
What to keep for Ellis County
Whether or not Ellis 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 Ellis County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Ellis Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation. The district says each operation is considered on its own, and it looks at fences and barns, stocking levels, equipment, records and receipts, and income.
| Minimum acres | 10 acres for pasture, hay and dry crops; 5 acres for orchards, nurseries and truck farms; 12.5 acres for wildlife |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | Not posted |
| Improved pasture | 3–5 acres per animal unit (Coastal Bermuda) |
| Native pasture | 10–12 acres per animal unit, with no supplemental feeding |
| Hay | At least 2 cuttings a year; fertilize at least once each spring and control weeds, vines and brush. Native grass, or fields also grazed by cattle, need 1 cutting. |
| Dry crops | Minimum yields per acre: corn 70 bu, grain sorghum 70 bu, soybeans 20 bu, oats 50 bu, wheat 30 bu, cotton 400 lb |
| Beekeeping | At least 6 hives on 5–20 acres, registered with the Texas Apiary Registration Service; must be more than a hobby |
| Exotic animals | 10 acres; must be in commercial production |
| History | Ag use 5 of the past 7 years (5 straight years inside city limits) |
| Application | File by April 30; the chief appraiser can grant up to 60 more days if you ask in writing before then |
| Leases | Not posted; ask the district what it needs |
| Source | Ellis Appraisal District Ag General Information · 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 Ellis County
| Appraisal district | Ellis Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 400 Ferris Ave., Waxahachie, TX 75165 |
| Phone | (972) 937-3552 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Ellis 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.
Ellis County habitat: Blackland Prairies
Texas Parks and Wildlife places Ellis 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 Ellis 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.