Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Hamilton County
Hamilton County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 6, 2026
Annual report due April 30
Hamilton CAD requires a wildlife annual report every year. It mails the report in January; return it by April 30 with supporting documents for each activity and a map. Wildlife tracts must be at least 20 acres.
| Annual report required? | Yes, every year |
|---|---|
| Due date | April 30 |
| Source | Hamilton County Appraisal District (checked Nov. 6, 2026) |
What to keep for Hamilton County
Whether or not Hamilton 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 Hamilton County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Hamilton County Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation.
Hamilton CAD requires at least 10 acres in ag use; tracts under 10 acres do not qualify. Typically 1 animal unit needs 20 acres of native range in a normal-rainfall year (1 animal unit = 1,000 lb of live weight).
| Minimum acres | 10 acres (grazing) |
|---|---|
| Native pasture | 20 acres per animal unit |
| Crops and orchards | Orchards and vineyards: at least 10 acres. Native pecans 14 trees per acre, improved pecans 35, peaches 100, grapes 450–600 vines per acre. |
| Beekeeping | 5–20 acres: 6 active hives on 5 acres, 8 on 10 acres, 10 on 15 acres, 12 on 20 acres. Hives must be active before you apply. |
| History and filing | Ag use 5 of the past 7 years. Apply between January 1 and April 30; a late application carries a 10% penalty. |
| Source | Hamilton CAD Guidelines for Qualification of Ag & Wildlife Land (2024) · 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 Hamilton County
| Appraisal district | Hamilton County Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 401 E. Main St., Hamilton, TX 76531 (mail: P.O. Box 352, Hamilton, TX 76531-0352) |
| Phone | (254) 386-8945 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Hamilton 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.