Karnes County, TX — Ag Exemption Requirements (2026)
Karnes County lies in the South Texas Plains, southeast of San Antonio in the Eagle Ford region, where cow-calf ranching, small ruminants, hay, and grain and cotton production are common. Karnes County Appraisal District's standards are particularly useful because they pair a three-animal-unit rule for small grazing tracts with pasture-condition stocking ranges that become applicable at 65 acres.
Grazing Intensity Standards
| Pasture Type | Acres per Animal Unit | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Open Pasture (no to minimal brush) | 22 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Native Pasture (<50% brush canopy) | 33 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Brush (>50% brush canopy) | 41 acres / AU | ✓ Verified |
| Improved Pasture (some type of improved pasture planted, brush managed) | 5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| mature dry cow or cow and calf | 1 | County-published |
| mature 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 |
| five ewes with or without lambs | 1 | County-published |
| four rams or buck sheep | 1 | County-published |
| eight lambs weaned to one year | 1 | County-published |
| six nanny goats or does with kids | 1 | County-published |
| five billy or buck goats | 1 | County-published |
| ten kid goats weaned to one year | 1 | County-published |
| six mature mutton goats | 1 | County-published |
| five axis aoudad fallow or mouflon | 1 | County-published |
| nine blackbuck antelope | 1 | County-published |
| seven sika deer | 1 | County-published |
| two point five red deer | 1 | County-published |
| eland | 1 | County-published |
| three emus | 1 | County-published |
| two ostriches | 1 | County-published |
| seven whitetail deer | 1 | County-published |
| thirty chickens under five pounds | 1 | County-published |
Wildlife Management Option
Karnes County allows wildlife management as a qualifying use. Landowners must implement at least 0 of the seven recognized wildlife management practices defined by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The Comptroller's Guidelines for Qualification of Agricultural Land in Wildlife Management Use must be followed. A single tract has a 94% minimum wildlife-use percentage (16.67 acres minimum); a Wildlife Management Property Association has a 91% minimum (11.11 acres minimum). A smaller tract may be considered when its plan supplies sufficient management inputs and includes a qualified, recognized Wildlife Biologist's written certification as an addendum. The published document does not state a minimum number of practices or require an annual report.
Required Documents
- Form 50-129, Application for 1-d-1 (Open-Space) Agricultural Use Appraisal
- Wildlife Management Plan, if applying for wildlife management
- Written certification by a qualified, recognized Wildlife Biologist as an addendum to the Wildlife Management Plan, if applying below the wildlife minimum acreage
- Proof of enrollment showing beginning and ending dates and program requirements, if applying under a governmental program
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."
"It has been determined that all operations pertaining to the grazing of land including the cow/calf operation, the commercial goat breeder, and horse breeding operations, in the Karnes County Appraisal District will have a herd size of at least three animal units with no minimum number of acres. All small acreage tracts will have to maintain a minimum herd size of three animal units until the acreage reaches 65 acres, then the typical stocking rate chart located in the back of this outline, would apply."
"Grazing standards are published as ranges: open pasture 22-25, native pasture 33-35, brush 41-45, and improved pasture 5-8 acres per animal unit. The numeric grazing fields record each stated lower bound."
Frequently Asked Questions — Karnes County
- Karnes CAD requires at least 3 animal units for cow/calf, commercial-goat-breeder, and horse-breeding operations on small tracts. That three-AU requirement continues until the tract reaches 65 acres, when the pasture-specific stocking-rate chart applies.
- The improved-pasture range is 5-8 acres per animal unit. Three animal units therefore correspond to 3 × 5 through 3 × 8 acres, or 15-24 acres, depending on pasture condition.
- The apiary rule starts with 3 complete colonies and adds 1 colony for each additional 2 acres. On 15 acres, the 10 acres beyond the 5-acre minimum add 10 ÷ 2 = 5 colonies, for 8 colonies total.
- The district sets a 94% minimum wildlife-use percentage for a single tract, stated as 16.67 acres minimum. A property in a Wildlife Management Property Association has an 11.11-acre minimum; a smaller tract can be considered only with sufficient management inputs and a qualified wildlife biologist's written certification.
Karnes County Appraisal District
- Phone
- 830-780-2433
- karnescad@karnescad.org
- Address
- 915 S. Panna Maria Ave. Karnes City, TX 78118-4105
- Website
- https://www.karnescad.org
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