Ag exemption vs Wildlife exemption

[Hank_Hill 19,796]

Family has a ranch in central Texas that is currently being overseen by my grandmother and her sister. Has had ~20 cattle on it for the last 100 years for the exemption. With those two ladies getting pretty long in the tooth and me being away from home unable to really help out for a few years we are looking in to transitioning from ag to wildlife conservation exemption. While sad and hard, it seems ideal and besides the work burden it will also lift some financial burden from them not having to pay for the maintenance that cattle require. Was just wondering if anyone here had any insight in to any cons to switching.

[luke duke 6,447]

Do you have enough land to make it worth leasing out to another rancher?

[deadshank 24,654]

Pics of old ladies?

(there, I did it)

[Hank_Hill 19,796]

45 minutes ago, luke duke said:

Do you have enough land to make it worth leasing out to another rancher?

Area wise yea but most of it is heavily wooded/lakefront with pretty limited pasture space. Worked for us because we have so few and just let them roam and do their own thing for the most part. Not sure it would work for an actual rancher.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,856]

6 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Area wise yea but most of it is heavily wooded/lakefront with pretty limited pasture space. Worked for us because we have so few and just let them roam and do their own thing for the most part. Not sure it would work for an actual rancher.

Well like Luke said if you can make it work leasing to a neighbor, that would be your best bet.  I only have experience dealing with Hays County, but switching over to wildlife management (1-D-1) isn't hard.  There is work involved in maintaining it though.  You have to develop a wildlife management plan that meets certain criteria (like clearing certain percentages of cedar/brush per year, adding supplemental food/water/shelter sources).  There are consultant companies that can help you with the plan and stuff if you have a large enough place to make it worthwhile hiring them.  Once you get past the initial 5 year plan it's just maintaining stuff.  We've done it on our smallish property for about 25 years now.   Link to the application is below.

https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/TFSMain/Manage_Forest_and_Land/Landowner_Assistance(6)/50-129.pdf

 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Judge Roybeanbag

[Hank_Hill 19,796]

Appreciate it, yea apparently a wildlife biologist is coming to walk the place next week so they’re further along in the process than I thought 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,856]

13 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Appreciate it, yea apparently a wildlife biologist is coming to walk the place next week so they’re further along in the process than I thought 

Also you may already know this but you can still keep animals/livestock, you just have to control their grazing impact.

[Catpfish 618]

Also, the ag exemption does not require cattle to be on the property year round.  That makes it a little easier on a rancher to not have to worry about supplementing a smaller place.  He can rotate them on/off.