Bee County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Bee County lies in South Texas northwest of Corpus Christi, where cow-calf ranching shares the landscape with grain and cotton production. Bee CAD’s standards are especially useful for smaller grazing tracts because they combine pasture-specific stocking ranges with a three-animal-unit minimum before the regular stocking chart applies.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Native Pasture ( light brush with some clearing) | 15 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Native Pasture ( light brush with some clearing) Pawnee and Mineral area | 17 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Brush (heavy brush no visible openings) | 20 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Brush (heavy brush no visible openings) Pawnee and Mineral area | 25 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pasture ( some type of improved pasture planted, brush managed) | 8 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 3 | 0.5 | ✓ Verified |
Animal Unit Equivalencies
An animal unit (AU) is a standardized measure used to compare livestock of different sizes. One AU = one 1,000-lb cow. Your total stocking rate is calculated in AUs, then multiplied by the acres-per-AU standard for your pasture type. These values are published by the county.
| Animal | Animal Units | Source |
|---|---|---|
| cow calf | 1 | County-published |
| bull | 1.25 | County-published |
| weaned calf to one year | 0.6 | County-published |
| steer one year old | 0.7 | County-published |
| steer two year old | 0.9 | County-published |
| horse | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| donkey or mule | 1.25 | County-published |
| burro | 0.75 | County-published |
| ewe | 0.2 | County-published |
| ram or buck sheep | 0.25 | County-published |
| lamb weaned to one year | 0.125 | County-published |
| nanny goat or doe with kids | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| billy or buck goat | 0.2 | County-published |
| kid goat weaned to one year | 0.1 | County-published |
| mature mutton goat | 0.1666666667 | County-published |
| axis aoudad fallow or mouflon | 0.2 | County-published |
| blackbuck antelope | 0.1111111111 | County-published |
| sika deer | 0.1428571429 | County-published |
| red deer | 0.4 | County-published |
| eland | 1 | County-published |
| emu | 0.3333333333 | County-published |
| ostrich | 0.5 | County-published |
| whitetail deer | 0.1428571429 | County-published |
| chicken under 5 lbs | 0.0333333333 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Bee County allows wildlife management as a qualifying use. Landowners must implement at least 3 of the seven recognized wildlife management practices defined by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The Comptroller’s publication, Guidelines for Qualification of Agricultural Land in Wildlife Management Use, is to be followed for qualification of wildlife management land in the Bee County Appraisal District. A single tract has a 94% minimum wildlife-use percentage (16.67 acres minimum); qualifying association and designated-species tracts have a 91% minimum (11.11 acres minimum).
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Wildlife Management Plan
- Registration with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service, for beekeeping operations
Discretionary Caveats
"Unique or “fad” agricultural operations will be considered on a case-by-case basis."
"Although no set minimum acreage is suggested, each Exotic Animal Operations must be judged on a case by case basis to determine its feasibility as an enterprise."
"Stocking rates can vary widely from year, depending on rainfall, economic factors, and management style. The chart above is only a guideline based on USDA recommendations of normal conditions. The chief appraiser will determine each application’s qualification on a case by case basis."
"Grazing standards are published as ranges; the numeric acres-per-animal-unit fields record each range’s minimum: Native Pasture 15-18, Pawnee and Mineral native pasture 17-20, Brush 20-23, Pawnee and Mineral brush 25-28, and Improved Pasture 8-10 acres per animal unit."
"Grazing operations require at least three animal units on tracts below 45 acres; the typical stocking-rate chart applies once acreage reaches 45 acres."
Frequently Asked Questions — Bee County
- Bee CAD requires at least 3 animal units on small acreage tracts until the tract reaches 45 acres. A 30-acre tract therefore needs at least 3 animal units, subject to the district’s pasture condition and case-by-case review.
- The published native-pasture range is 15-18 acres per animal unit. Using the chart’s 15-acre minimum, 45 acres ÷ 15 acres per animal unit = 3 animal units; the actual stocking rate remains within the published 15-18-acre range and is reviewed by the chief appraiser.
- Bee CAD starts at 3 complete colonies and adds 1 colony for each additional 2 acres. At 13 acres, 3 + ((13 - 5) ÷ 2) = 7 complete colonies; the document caps the requirement at 10 colonies on 20 acres.
- For a single tract, Bee CAD sets a 94% wildlife-use minimum of 16.67 acres. Properties in a wildlife-management association or designated-species habitat have a 91% minimum of 11.11 acres, subject to the required wildlife management plan.
Bee County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 361-358-0193
- bee@beecad.org
- Address
- 401 N. Washington St., Beeville, TX 78102-3911
- Website
- https://www.beecad.org
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