Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 6, 2026
Report rules not posted; call to confirm
Hidalgo County Appraisal District’s 2026 standards don’t say whether it wants a wildlife annual report or when it’s due. Call the district at (956) 381-8466 before April 30 to confirm.
| Annual report required? | Not posted; ask the district |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
What to keep for Hidalgo County
Whether or not Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Hidalgo County Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation.
Hidalgo CAD sets grazing by whether land is inside an irrigation district: at least 1 animal unit on 3–4 acres inside irrigated boundaries, and 1 animal unit on 15–20 acres outside them. Small tracts with a homesite generally don't qualify, and land idle for more than two years can lose ag valuation.
| Stocking rate | At least 1 animal unit on 3–4 acres inside an irrigation district; 1 animal unit on 15–20 acres outside one |
|---|---|
| Hay | Hay: typically 5 acres, with at least two cuttings a year. Cutting native grass or mowing to keep land clean doesn't qualify. |
| Crops and orchards | Crops: typically 10 acres (smaller tracts must meet the 10-acre intensity level). Orchards: typically 5 acres; citrus 100–125 trees per acre, pecans 10 per acre. |
| Beekeeping | Beekeeping: 5–20 acres. At least 5 active hives on 5–10 acres, 7 on 10.01–15 acres and 8 on 15.01–20 acres, kept alive on the property at least 7 months of the year. |
| History and filing | Apply between January 1 and April 30. Ag use for 5 of the past 7 years is required. |
| Source | Hidalgo County Appraisal District 2026 Agricultural Intensity Standards, sent by Sonia Portillo · 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 Hidalgo County
| Appraisal district | Hidalgo County Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 4405 S. Professional Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 (mail: P.O. Box 208, Edinburg, TX 78540-0208) |
| Phone | (956) 381-8466 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Hidalgo 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.