Habitat Ledger › County deadlines › Matagorda County
Matagorda County wildlife report and ag valuation rules
Checked November 6, 2026
Report rules not posted; call to confirm
Matagorda County Appraisal District doesn’t post its wildlife annual report rules online, so plan on April 30 and call the district to confirm at (979) 244-2031.
| Annual report required? | Not posted; ask the district |
|---|---|
| Due date | Not posted |
What to keep for Matagorda County
Whether or not Matagorda 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 Matagorda County
Running cattle, cutting hay or farming instead of managing for wildlife? These are the Matagorda County Appraisal District’s published degree-of-intensity standards for the 1-d-1 agricultural valuation.
Livestock land must support at least 3 animal units (about 3,000 lb of animals). Native pasture needs about 15 acres, stocked at 1 animal unit per 5 acres. At least 1 acre is taken out as a homesite where there is a home. No separate grazing rate is posted for improved pasture.
| Minimum acres | 5 acres (grazing) |
|---|---|
| Minimum animals | 3 animal units |
| Native pasture | 5 acres per animal unit |
| Hay | Improved pasture used for hay needs about 5 acres, 2–3 cuttings a year, roughly 50–55 square bales or 2–3 large round bales (3,000–5,000 lb) per acre. Hay should be marketable. |
| Crops and orchards | Irrigated and dry cropland each need about 15 acres, worked to Farm Service Agency standards. Turf grass and pecans also need about 15 acres; pecans 14 trees per acre. |
| Beekeeping | About 5 acres minimum: 6 colonies for 5 acres, plus 1 colony for each added 2½ acres, up to 20 acres. Hives must stay on the property 9 months of the year. Bring apiary permits, a map of hive locations, and proof of commercial use. |
| History and filing | Apply January 1–April 30; late applications run until the roll is approved, with a 10% penalty. First-time applicants must show ag use in 5 of the 7 prior years. A new application is needed after an ownership change, a change in type of ag use, or when the chief appraiser asks. File a separate application for each account. |
| Leases and small tracts | If the land is leased, file a copy of the lease with the application. For a verbal lease, the lessee must sign a notarized affidavit of its terms. |
| Source | Matagorda County Appraisal District Ag Requirements · 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 Matagorda County
| Appraisal district | Matagorda County Appraisal District |
|---|---|
| Address | 2225 Avenue G, Bay City, TX 77414 |
| Phone | (979) 244-2031 |
| Local help with your plan | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Matagorda 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.