Texas counties / Post Oak Savannah
Wildlife management valuation in Burleson County, Texas
Often searched as the “wildlife exemption” — technically it’s not an exemption at all, but keeping your existing 1-d-1 productivity valuation with wildlife management as the qualifying use. Here is what that takes in Burleson County.
Burleson County lies within the Post Oak Savannah ecoregion, so TPWD's Post Oak Savannah guidelines govern wildlife management plans here.
Key facts
- Ecoregion
- Post Oak Savannah (100%)
- Filing window
- January 1 – April 30 (late filing possible with penalty)
- Forms
- Form 50-129 (wildlife section) + TPWD PWD-885 plan
- PWD-888 annual report
- On request
Deadlines that matter in Burleson County
File between January 1 and April 30 of the tax year: a new 1-d-1 open-space application (Comptroller Form 50-129) with the wildlife management section completed, plus your wildlife management plan (TPWD PWD-885), with the county appraisal district. The plan alone converts nothing — the application does.
Before the deadline passes, the chief appraiser may grant up to 60 extra days for good cause if you ask in writing (Tax Code §23.54(d)) — worth asking before assuming you’re late.
Missed April 30? Late applications are accepted until the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records for the year — with a penalty equal to 10% of the difference between the tax at productivity value and what the tax would have been at market value, i.e. a tenth of that year’s savings (Tax Code §23.541).
We haven’t verified Burleson County’s ARB approval date yet — statewide it typically lands around July 20. Ask the appraisal district for this year’s schedule before counting on a late filing.
Wildlife management practices for Post Oak Savannah
State law requires implementing at least 3 of the 7 statutory wildlife-management practices; committing to 5 or more leaves margin if a practice slips during the year. We haven’t finished encoding TPWD’s Post Oak Savannah intensity standards into structured data yet — the regional guideline document (linked below) is the authority for what counts and how much is enough in this region.
- • Habitat control
- • Erosion control
- • Predator control
- • Providing supplemental supplies of water
- • Providing supplemental supplies of food
- • Providing shelters
- • Making census counts to determine population
Region-specific intensity standards for Post Oak Savannaharen’t in our structured database yet — TPWD’s regional guidelines are the authority until they are.
County lines are not ecoregion lines — your tract’s governing ecoregion resolves from where the land actually sits. The plan wizard does this from your parcel location.
Minimum acreage (the wildlife-use requirement)
This minimum-acreage table only applies if your tract got smaller after January 1 of the preceding tax year (34 TAC §9.2005(b)–(c)). If your acreage is unchanged or larger, there is no wildlife-use requirement to meet — most landowners can skip this section.
| Wildlife-use appraisal region | Standard range | Property-association range |
|---|---|---|
| Post Oak Savannah | 92–94% | 90–91% |
Ranges from 34 TAC §9.2005 (Wildlife Use Requirement). Land in TPWD-designated endangered/threatened-species habitat has its own band under subsection (e) — ask the appraisal district if that may apply to you.
Where you file: Burleson County Appraisal District
- Website
- burlesonappraisal.com
- Property search
- esearch.burlesonappraisal.com
- Phone
- (979) 567-2318
- Address
- 111 E. Fawn Street, Caldwell, TX 77836 (mailing: PO Box 1000, Caldwell, TX 77836)
Details verified July 7, 2026 against the district’s public web presence — confirm before filing.
Burleson County Appraisal District requests the PWD-888 annual report case-by-case — keep activity records current so a request is a formality, not a scramble. (Verified July 7, 2026 from published district or state guidance — confirm with the district before relying on it.)
- • Wildlife minimum size adopted by the district Board of Directors: 15 acres or 93% of the tract dedicated to wildlife management (93% if within a qualifying wildlife property association or TPWD-designated endangered/threatened/candidate-species habitat).
- • To convert to wildlife management the district requires a written management plan submitted together with a NEW 1-d-1 open-space application; the land must already hold a 1-d-1 ag valuation.
- • District evaluates wildlife qualification against TPWD's Comprehensive Wildlife Management Planning Guidelines for the Post Oak Savannah Ecological Region.
- • Filing window Jan 1–May 1; late applications accepted up to appraisal-roll certification (~July 1) with a 10% late-filing penalty; no applications accepted after ARB approves records.
Common questions in Burleson County
How do I switch from ag exemption to wildlife exemption in Burleson County?
Both are 1-d-1 open-space valuations, not true exemptions. Converting means filing a new 1-d-1 application (Form 50-129) with the wildlife-management section completed, plus a wildlife management plan (TPWD PWD-885), with the appraisal district between January 1 and April 30. Your land must already hold 1-d-1 (or timber) valuation, and wildlife management must become its primary use. In Burleson County that means TPWD’s Post Oak Savannah guidelines.
Do my property taxes change when I convert to wildlife management use?
Conversion keeps your existing 1-d-1 productivity valuation with wildlife management as the qualifying use — it is designed to be tax-neutral relative to your current ag valuation. The chief appraiser makes every valuation decision; no software or consultant can promise an outcome.
How many wildlife management practices do I need in Burleson County?
At least 3 of the 7 statutory practices; many landowners commit to 5 or more for margin. Practices come with region-specific intensity standards — TPWD’s regional guidelines set the standards for Post Oak Savannah.
What is the minimum acreage for wildlife management use in Burleson County?
There is no blanket statewide minimum. A minimum-acreage test (the wildlife-use requirement) applies only if your tract was reduced in size after January 1 of the preceding tax year; otherwise the requirement does not apply at all. If it does apply, the appraisal district picks a ratio from the range set for this wildlife-use appraisal region — the ranges for this county are on this page.
What if I miss the April 30 deadline in Burleson County?
Ask about the good-cause extension first: before the deadline the chief appraiser may grant up to 60 extra days on written request. After that, late applications are accepted until the ARB approves the appraisal records — typically around July 20 statewide, but confirm the current year’s schedule with the appraisal district — with a penalty of 10% of that year’s tax savings.
Prepare your Burleson County package
The plan wizard turns your answers into a complete DRAFT conversion package — the wildlife management plan, the official PWD-885 and 50-129 forms, map exhibits of your property, and a filing checklist — for your own review and self-filing with Burleson County Appraisal District.
Start your planInformational only — not legal, tax, or biological consulting advice. Verification dates for county-specific facts are shown alongside them; confirm current details with the appraisal district before filing.