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How to Keep Your Texas Wildlife Exemption: A Plain-English Guide to the Annual Report (PWD-888)

Updated November 1, 2026 · About an 8-minute read

If your land is appraised under wildlife management use, the lower property tax value depends on one thing: being able to show you managed for wildlife this year. This guide covers what the "3 of 7" rule means, what goes in the annual report your appraisal district can ask for, and the records that make that report easy.

What the "wildlife exemption" actually is

What most people call the Texas wildlife exemption is really a special valuation, not an exemption. It is part of the same 1-d-1 open-space appraisal that covers agricultural land. Land that already qualifies for open-space (ag or timber) valuation can switch to wildlife management use and keep the lower productivity value, as long as the owner actively manages it to support native wildlife under a written wildlife management plan.

A few points that trip people up:

• You have to start from ag or timber valuation. Only land already appraised as agricultural or timber land can convert to wildlife management use.
• The plan goes to your appraisal district. You file a wildlife management plan (TPWD's plan form is PWD-885) with your 1-d-1 application. Texas Parks and Wildlife publishes the guidelines and forms, but your county appraisal district decides whether you qualify.
• Acreage rules are local. If your tract has gotten smaller, minimum acreage requirements apply and vary by region, so check with your appraisal district.

The "3 of 7" rule

Every year, you need to carry out at least three of the seven wildlife management practices named in Texas law and listed in your plan. Each practice has to be done at the level TPWD's guidelines describe for your part of the state, so check your plan for the specific activities you committed to.

The annual report (PWD-888)

Your appraisal district can require an annual report showing what you did on the property during the past year. When it does, the report goes on Texas Parks and Wildlife's Wildlife Management Annual Report form, PWD-888. Some districts ask every year; others ask only some years or when they review your file. Read any letter from your district closely.

Deadlines are set by each appraisal district. Travis Central Appraisal District, for example, has set its annual report deadline at the end of February for the prior year's work. Yours may differ, so call your district or check its website early in the year rather than waiting for a notice.

What the report generally covers:

• The property, the owner and the tax year being reported
• Which practices you carried out, with the specific activities, dates and quantities
• Census results, such as spotlight counts or camera surveys
• Your signature confirming the information is true

Many districts also want supporting documentation, such as receipts, invoices, photos and count sheets. Some ask for everything as one PDF and won't accept loose receipts. If your property is part of a wildlife co-op that files one report, every landowner may need to sign it.

A simple year-round routine

The landowners who dread the annual report are usually the ones rebuilding a year of work from memory in January. A few minutes as you go fixes that:

1. Right after you do the work, log it. Write down the date, the practice, where on the property and how much (bags of feed, feet of fence, acres treated).
2. Snap a photo. A dated picture of the feeder, the new trough or the cleared brush is the easiest proof there is.
3. Keep every receipt. Photograph it at the counter before it fades in the truck.
4. Do your census on a schedule. Pick your count nights or camera weeks and record the numbers the same way each time.
5. Check your count in the fall. By October, make sure you have done at least three practices at the level your plan calls for, with time left to catch up.
6. In January, fill in the report. With a year of records in one place, the PWD-888 is a short job. Keep a copy of what you turn in.

What happens if you lose the valuation

If your land no longer qualifies, it goes back to market value, and a change of use can also trigger a rollback tax: the difference between the taxes you paid at the lower value and the taxes at market value. Since a 2021 change in Texas law (HB 3833), the rollback reaches back three years instead of five. Your appraisal district can explain exactly how it applies to your property.

That is why good records matter. The valuation itself saves real money every year, and proof of your work is what protects it.

Where a wildlife consultant fits in

Many landowners work with a wildlife biologist or consultant to write their plan, choose practices that fit the property and prepare their report. That expertise is worth having, especially when you are first converting from ag. Whether you work with a consultant or do it yourself, someone still has to capture what happened on the ground all year, and organized records make the consultant's job easier, too.

Common questions

Do I have to file an annual report every year?

Only if your appraisal district requires it. Many do. Even when yours doesn't ask, keep the same records every year in case it does.

When is the PWD-888 due?

Each appraisal district sets its own deadline. Check your district's website or call in January so you aren't caught short.

Where do I get the form?

The current form is published by Texas Parks and Wildlife on its wildlife tax valuation pages, and many appraisal districts link to it as well.

Can I keep my records on my phone?

Yes. Photos, logs and receipt pictures on your phone count as long as they show what you did and when. A record-keeping app just keeps them organized and ready to print.

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules and deadlines can change and vary by appraisal district. Confirm the requirements for your property with your county appraisal district, and see Texas Parks and Wildlife's wildlife tax valuation resources for current forms and guidelines.