Coryell County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Coryell County lies west of Waco on the edge of the Edwards Plateau, centered on Gatesville and extending to Copperas Cove near Fort Cavazos. Its typical agricultural operations include grazing, dryland crops, hay, pecan orchards, livestock breeding, and wildlife management; Coryell CAD usefully pairs minimum-acreage and animal-unit requirements with a detailed beekeeping formula and recurring wildlife-report requirement.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| larger acreage tracts (100 acres and more) | 25 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
Beekeeping Intensity Standards
| Acreage Range | Base Hives | Extra Hives/Acre (above base) | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–20 acres | 6 | 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 or cow with calf | 1 | County-published |
| mature bull | 1.25 | County-published |
| weaned calf to 1 year | 0.6 | County-published |
| steer 1 year old | 0.7 | County-published |
| horse | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature horse | 0.5 | County-published |
| donkey or mule | 1.25 | County-published |
| miniature donkey or burro | 0.75 | County-published |
| 6 ewes with or without lambs | 1 | County-published |
| 6 rams or buck sheep | 1 | County-published |
| 10 lambs weaned to 1 year | 1 | County-published |
| 6 nanny goats or does | 1 | County-published |
| 6 billy goats or bucks | 1 | County-published |
| 10 kid goats weaned to 1 year | 1 | County-published |
| 6 mature mutton goats | 1 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Coryell 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. An annual wildlife management plan report is required.
The land must have been qualified for and appraised as 1-d-1 agricultural land in the tax year before the owner changes to wildlife management use. The owner must submit a TPWD wildlife management plan showing at least three of seven management activities. Annual reports are requested every year on TPWD form PWD-888; Coryell CAD inspects for compliance.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-D-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Copy of the lease agreement, or a lessee letter stating the type of Ag use, degree of intensity, and duration of the lease, for leased land
- Texas Parks and Wildlife wildlife management plan, for a change to wildlife management use
- TPWD form PWD-888 annual wildlife management report, signed by the property owner or authorized agent, for wildlife management use
- Map indicating hive location on property (Google map accepted), business and landscape plan, export/import/intra-state permits, harvest data, Apiary registry evidence, and Coryell CAD beekeeping questionnaire, for beekeeping use
Discretionary Caveats
"Following is a set of guidelines for the qualification and appraisal of 1-d-1 agricultural lands and wildlife management lands in the Coryell Central Appraisal District (Coryell CAD). It should be noted that these guidelines are to be used as a general guide for qualifying agricultural land. Exceptions to this guide will be handled on a case-by-case basis."
"The Chief Appraiser may choose to request periodic reapplications for small tracts to assure that the degree of intensity continues to be met."
"Other agricultural operations not covered by these guidelines will be handled on a case-by-case basis until such operations become typical of the area."
"Grazing intensity standards for tracts under 100 acres are not stated as an acres-per-animal-unit rate in the published document — confirm with CAD."
Frequently Asked Questions — Coryell County
- For tracts of 100 acres or more, Coryell CAD says stocking should be not less than 1 animal unit per 25 acres. One hundred acres ÷ 25 acres per animal unit = 4 animal units; the summary guidelines separately require at least 5 animal units of reproducing cows for a cow/calf operation.
- Coryell CAD requires 6 colonies for the first 5 acres and 1 additional colony per 2 additional acres. The additional 10 acres require 5 more colonies, so 6 + 5 = 11 colonies on 15 acres.
- The published guideline requires at least 5 acres, excluding a one-acre homesite, and says hay production should be 3,000 pounds per acre in normal, non-drought years. On 5 acres, that benchmark is 5 × 3,000 = 15,000 pounds of marketable hay.
- No. The tract must have been appraised as 1-d-1 agricultural land in the prior tax year. The owner then submits a TPWD plan covering at least 3 of the 7 management activities and must file the annual PWD-888 report.
Coryell Central Appraisal District
- Phone
- 254-865-6593
- juliez@coryellcad.org
- Address
- 705 E. Main St., Gatesville, TX 76528
- Website
- https://www.coryellcad.org
Nearby Counties
Learn the Basics
Get a free reminder before Coryell County's next ag exemption deadline
Join the waitlist — we'll email you before the dates that matter, and you'll get first access to the app when it's ready.
Join the waitlistSpotted an error or outdated information? Let us know →