Carrizo Springs caught a soaking in the first part of November, and the drought map is already starting to show it. A NOAA gauge about three miles south of town recorded 4.88 inches from Nov. 5 through Nov. 11, including 2.25 inches on Nov. 8, and the Nov. 10 Drought Monitor dropped severe drought to less than 1 percent of Dimmit County. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) follows South Texas ranch country from our San Angelo office, and this is what the storm, the hunting season and the land market look like now.
A Week That Changed the Map
On the Nov. 3 Drought Monitor, 76.26 percent of Dimmit County was in severe drought, with another 0.85 percent in extreme drought, and the entire county was in at least moderate drought. A week later, on the map valid Nov. 10, severe drought covered only 0.89 percent of the county. About 84.8 percent remained in moderate drought or worse, which means a share of the county has already left drought, and most of what is left has been downgraded from severe to moderate.
October itself was unremarkable, only 0.17 inch above normal. The November storm is what moved the needle.
What the Gauge and the District Reports Show
AGSIST, compiling NOAA daily records for the station three miles south of Carrizo Springs, put year-to-date rainfall at 23.29 inches through Nov. 11, 5.37 inches above a usual year, or 130 percent of normal. November through the 11th had already brought 4.88 inches, against a usual 0.47 inch for that stretch. The biggest single day was 2.25 inches on Nov. 8.
AgriLife’s South and Southwest district reporters, in the Nov. 13 crop and weather report, described a widespread storm with totals from about 2 inches to as much as 9 inches in some areas, while other spots got little or no measurable rain and remained in moderate to severe drought. The slow, steady rain was expected to improve soil moisture and rangeland, though cooler temperatures will limit near-term grass growth, and some ponds still did not get runoff. Deer season opened slowly because of the rain, but reporters said deer were in good condition, the whitetail rut had begun, and quail and deer numbers looked strong.
Burn Ban and Stock Water
Texas A&M Forest Service data, as compiled by Burn Ban Texas on Nov. 13, still listed a Dimmit County burn ban. The listed effective date on that feed goes back several years, so treat it as a reminder to call the county before burning, not as proof of the original order date. Stock tanks and creek holes needed this rain. A wet week does not refill every tank, and AgriLife noted that some areas got little runoff even where the ground was soaked.
Deer and Quail Season
Dimmit County is in the South Zone for white-tailed deer. The bag limit is 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks. General season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 17, 2027, with a special late season Jan. 18 through 31 limited to antlerless deer and unbranched-antlered bucks. Quail may be taken through Feb. 28, with a daily bag of 15. Late dove in the South Zone returns Dec. 18, 2026, through Jan. 21, 2027.
Written hunt leases and a plan for carcass care remain good practice while New World screwworm is still a concern farther down the border.
South Texas Land Market Snapshot
The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M places Dimmit County in its South Texas region. In the second quarter 2026 report, sales there rose 26.18 percent from a year earlier to 400, the strongest growth of any Texas region, while the median price increased 0.99 percent to $6,225 an acre on a typical 308-acre tract. Brush-country ranches still sell on hunting quality, water, fencing and access, so a Broker should weigh those against comparable sales, not the regional median alone.
Call Our Brokers and Agents
If you are thinking about buying or selling ranch land around Carrizo Springs, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a ranch Broker for Dimmit County property? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, a San Angelo firm, handles ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions in South Texas, including Dimmit County.
How can I find land for sale in Dimmit County? See listings at llpranchland.com and call 325.655.6989 with the acreage, water, fence and hunting use you want.
What should the best ranch Broker for Dimmit County offer? Closed sales in brush country, a clear view of water and wildlife value, and pricing from comparable ranches rather than a regionwide average.
Did the November rain end Dimmit County’s drought? Not entirely. Severe drought shrank to 0.89 percent of the county on the Nov. 10 map, but 84.8 percent remained in at least moderate drought.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt is a San Angelo ranch brokerage with roots in Bronte. Our Brokers and Agents help landowners buy and sell ranch and farm land, and they prepare appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions when a family needs a number they can stand behind.
Sources
- AGSIST, Dimmit County rainfall through Nov. 11, 2026, from NOAA daily records at the station 3 miles south of Carrizo Springs: https://agsist.com/rain/texas/dimmit-county
- U.S. Drought Monitor, maps valid Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, 2026: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
- Drought.gov, Dimmit County, Texas, conditions, checked Nov. 13, 2026: https://www.drought.gov/states/Texas/county/Dimmit
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Nov. 13, 2026, by Adam Russell, as published in North Texas e-News: https://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_147455.shtml
- Burn Ban Texas, Dimmit County (Texas A&M Forest Service data), checked Nov. 13, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/dimmit
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Dimmit County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/dimmit
- 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 Ranchland, Zapata County Ranch News: Screwworm Quarantine Returns Around Zapata as South Texas Deer Season Opens
Photo: Billy Hathorn at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimmit_County,_TX,_Courthouse_IMG_1701.JPG). Cropped.
