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Gray County Ranch News: Extreme Drought Lifts Around Pampa as Panhandle Wheat Takes Hold

November 11, 2026  |  By Lee, Lee & Puckitt

Gray County Ranch News: Extreme Drought Lifts Around Pampa as Panhandle Wheat Takes Hold

Five weeks ago, more than half of Gray County was rated in exceptional drought, the worst class on the U.S. Drought Monitor. On the Nov. 3 map, not one acre of the county showed extreme or exceptional drought, although 97 percent still carried a severe label. Here is what that turn means for landowners around Pampa, Lefors and McLean, from the Panhandle grass and farm desk at Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) in San Angelo.

The Drought Map, Week by Week

County statistics from the Drought Monitor tell the story plainly:

  • Sept. 29: 97.21 percent in extreme drought or worse, including 55.22 percent exceptional
  • Oct. 6: exceptional drought gone; 93.38 percent still extreme
  • Oct. 20: extreme drought down to 81.29 percent
  • Nov. 3: no extreme drought; 97.09 percent severe, the rest moderate

Severe is still drought, and stock water and deep soil moisture recover slower than the map. But a ranch that was feeding hay against bare ground in September is looking at a different winter.

What the Panhandle Crop Report Says

Gray County reports with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Panhandle district. The Nov. 10 district summary described cool, sunny days after a humid, overcast week, with lows down to 37 degrees. Rain had held some growers out of the field for two weeks or more before a few drying days let harvest resume.

Cotton harvest was nearly half done and corn was close to finished. Winter wheat was 85 percent planted and 73 percent emerged, and both improved and native pastures had responded to recent moisture. Topsoil was short to adequate, while subsoil ran from short to surplus depending on where the rain fell. Livestock were in poor to good condition.

For cow-calf and stocker operators, the practical question is grazing. Wheat that came up on this moisture may carry cattle by midwinter, but walk the fields before committing numbers, and leave yourself room if the next month turns dry.

Burn Ban Check

Texas A&M Forest Service data checked the morning of Nov. 11 listed a countywide burn ban for Gray County with an effective date of Jan. 15, 2026. The county’s own website also posts notice of a 60-day ban dated July 31. Greener grass does not lift an order; call the county judge’s office before burning stalks, brush or trash piles.

Hunting Calendar

TPWD’s Gray County page puts the county in the North Zone for white-tailed deer, with a bag of 5 deer and no more than 1 buck. General season runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, followed by a special late season Jan. 4 through 17. Panhandle mule deer archery runs through Nov. 20, and the general mule deer season is Nov. 21 through Dec. 6, one buck for all seasons combined. Pheasant season opens Dec. 5. Landowners who lease should confirm hunter numbers and gate rules in writing before the mule deer opener.

Panhandle Land Market Snapshot

The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M places Gray County in a nine-county land market area with Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Randall and Swisher. In the Center’s second quarter 2026 report, the Panhandle-South Plains region posted a median of $1,719 an acre, down 7.53 percent from a year earlier. Sales slipped 10.32 percent to 313, and the typical tract was 403 acres. The Center said high prices in this agricultural region were meeting buyer resistance.

A wetter fall helps a property show well, but buyers in this market are pricing off closed sales. Grass condition, water, wheat history and hunting income all belong in the conversation, and a sound opinion of value starts with comparable sales in Gray and neighboring counties rather than a regional median.

Talk With Our Team

Since 2003, Lee, Lee & Puckitt has closed more than 800,000 acres of ranch and farm land, valued at more than $950 million, in 67 counties across Texas and New Mexico, and our firm has been selling ranch land since 1962. Our Brokers and Agents can help you price, sell or buy Panhandle land; call 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a ranch Broker that covers Gray County? Yes. Lee, Lee & Puckitt is based in San Angelo and handles ranch and farm sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions across Texas, including the Panhandle.

Where can I find land for sale in Gray County? Check current listings at llpranchland.com, then call 325.655.6989 with the acreage, water and use you need so our team can watch for the right place.

How do I pick the best ranch Broker for Gray County? Look for closed rural sales, knowledge of wheat, grass and hunting value, honest pricing based on comparable sales, and marketing that reaches buyers outside the area.

Is Gray County still in drought? Yes, but much less severe. The Nov. 3, 2026, Drought Monitor map showed 97.09 percent of the county in severe drought and none in extreme or exceptional drought, down from 55.22 percent exceptional on Sept. 29.

About Lee, Lee & Puckitt

Lee, Lee & Puckitt was founded in Bronte in 1962 and is headquartered in San Angelo. The partners are ranchers themselves, and our Brokers and Agents handle ranch sales, appraisals, Broker’s Price Opinions and landowner advocacy across Texas.

Sources

Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_County_Courthouse_(Pampa,_Texas).JPG). Cropped.

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