It was a hard cotton year in Carson County. When the first freeze hit Oct. 16 and 17, producers told KVII that more than 90 percent of the region’s dryland cotton had not made it through the summer, and the county’s burn ban, effective since May 26, is still in place. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) brokers ranch and farm land statewide from San Angelo, and the pieces below sort out the crop, the burn rules, hunting dates and land values for owners near Panhandle, White Deer and Groom.
A Short Cotton Crop
KVII’s Oct. 19 report described irrigated fields still waiting on harvest as the freeze arrived. Keith Mixon, general manager of Carson County Gin, told the station the area had more than 30 days of 100-degree heat, and that rain toward the end came too late. Producer Joseph Slatten said there was little moisture between May planting and September. For insured dryland cotton, Mixon said the remaining step is filing a crop insurance claim. Slatten noted prices are strong this year, but there is not much cotton to sell.
Rain Arrives for Wheat
The Nov. 3 Texas Crop and Weather Report from Texas A&M AgriLife said rain fell repeatedly across the Panhandle, with half an inch to more than 2 inches in places. Topsoil and subsoil moisture improved significantly. Cotton harvest stalled while fields dried, but wheat and other small grains were emerging, and reporters said the rain pushed the small grain season off to an excellent start on both irrigated and dryland acres. Pasture grass showed noticeable growth. Hay prices stayed high on short supplies.
For a farm that lost its cotton, a good wheat stand and a stocker plan can steady the year. Keep your crop insurance agent and FSA office in the loop on any claims and acreage reports.
Burn Ban Still On
The Carson County website says the county is in a burn ban effective May 26, 2026. On Nov. 8, Texas A&M Forest Service data also showed bans in neighboring Armstrong, Donley, Gray, Potter, Randall and Roberts counties, while Hutchinson and Moore had none. Check with the county before burning stalks or brush, and keep spark-producing work away from dry grass.
Hunting Season
In Carson County, TPWD’s 2026-27 Outdoor Annual shows the white-tailed general season running from the Nov. 7 opener to Jan. 3, 2027; the bag is 5 deer, only 1 of them a buck. Mule deer hunters can use archery until Nov. 20 under Panhandle rules, then the general season from Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, with one buck allowed. Pheasant season opens Dec. 5 and runs through Jan. 3 with 3 cocks a day, a good fit for wheat and milo country. Quail is open through Feb. 28.
Panhandle Land Prices
The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M places Carson County in its Panhandle-South Plains region. Its second quarter 2026 report put the regional median at $1,719 an acre, down 7.53 percent from a year earlier, after holding in the $1,800s for nearly two years. Sales fell 10.32 percent to 313, and total dollar volume dropped 25.36 percent to $79.98 million. The report said high prices in this farming region have increasingly met buyer resistance. Irrigation, water rights, and whether a place is dryland or grass all drive value well beyond any regional median.
Talk With Lee, Lee & Puckitt
If a tough crop year has you weighing a sale, or you want a clear opinion of value on Panhandle farm or ranch land, our Brokers and Agents can help. Call 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a ranch and farm broker that serves Carson County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has helped Texas landowners buy and sell ranch and farm property since 1962, including Panhandle cropland and grass.
How do I find farm or ranch land for sale in Carson County? Start with llpranchland.com and call 325.655.6989 with the acreage, irrigation and use you want. We can review regional sales with you.
How do I choose the best ranch broker for Panhandle farmland? Look for closed rural sales, someone who understands irrigation, water and crop history, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions built on actual comparable sales.
Is Carson County under a burn ban? Yes. The county website lists a burn ban effective May 26, 2026, and it was still posted on Nov. 8.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt has been in the Texas land business since 1962, starting in Bronte and working out of San Angelo since 1977. The partners are ranchers, and our Brokers and Agents provide sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions while standing with landowners.
Sources
- KVII ABC 7 Amarillo, “Texas Panhandle cotton harvest hit by drought, early freeze,” Oct. 19, 2026: https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/texas-panhandle-cotton-harvest-hit-by-drought-early-freeze-keith-mixon-carson-county-gin-joseph-slatten-agriculture-farming
- Carson County, Texas, official website (burn ban effective May 26, 2026): https://www.co.carson.tx.us/
- Burn Ban Texas, Carson County and neighbors (Texas A&M Forest Service data): https://burnbantexas.com/county/carson
- Texas A&M AgriLife Today, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Nov. 3, 2026: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2026/11/03/plenty-of-turkeys-this-thanksgiving-as-wholesale-prices-hold-steady/
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Carson County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/carson
- Texas Real Estate Research Center, Texas Rural Land Markets, Second Quarter 2026: https://trerc.tamu.edu/reports/texas-rural-land-markets-second-quarter-2026/
- Related: Land appraisals, Contact LLP, Dawson County Ranch News: Lamesa Gins Start Counting Bales After a Short Rain Year for Cotton
Photo: Hauteboy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carson_county_courthouse.jpg). Cropped.
