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Your property files are still needed

Updated November 3, 2026 · by Adam McLaughlin

If your appraisal district asks how your land still qualifies for wildlife management use, your answer is your paperwork. If those files are still in a drawer or the truck console, they're still needed. Here's what to gather for each property.

The checklist

• Wildlife management plan (PWD-885), and every updated version. State guidelines require a plan on the TPWD form for each tract. About the plan.
• Your 1-d-1 application and approval letter. Filed before May 1 of your first year, they show when your valuation started.
• Past annual reports (PWD-888). The state doesn't require one every year, but your appraisal district can. Check your county.
• Appraisal district letters, with what you sent back and when. The chief appraiser can ask for more information.
• Proof of the work: receipts, dated practice logs and photos, census counts and harvest records.
• Biologist notes and maps of your acreage and practices.

Keep your plan, application and approval as long as you own the land. If the land ever changes use, rollback taxes reach back three years, so many owners keep at least that many years of reports and receipts. Ask your tax professional what's right for you.

Sources

• Texas Comptroller: Guidelines for Qualification of Agricultural Land in Wildlife Management Use (July 2023)
• TPWD: Wildlife management tax valuation

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your appraisal district decides what it accepts. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc.; Habitat Ledger is not affiliated with Intuit.