<p>Howard County is heading into deer season still under a burn ban that followed a busy stretch of grass fires. Texas A&M Forest Service data showed the countywide ban still active on Nov. 5, with a listed start of Aug. 27, and the Big Spring Herald covered a large grass fire outside Forsan in early September. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), a San Angelo-based ranch Broker serving Howard County, reviewed the burn status, those fire reports and current West Texas land figures for owners between Big Spring, Coahoma and Forsan.</p> <h2>Why the Ban Still Matters</h2> <p>BurnBanTexas, drawing on Texas A&M Forest Service feeds, listed Howard County under a countywide burn ban as of Nov. 5, 2026, about 70 days after the Aug. 27 effective date. Outdoor burning of trash, brush, leaves, fields and open campfires is prohibited until commissioners lift the order. Confirm welding and cooking exceptions with the Howard County fire marshal or sheriff before any spark work.</p> <p>On the weekend of Sept. 6, the Howard County Volunteer Fire Department and mutual-aid partners worked a large grass fire off Farm-to-Market Road 821 outside Forsan, the Big Spring Herald reported. Crews stopped forward spread that evening and were back in service later that night. The same weekend brought other grass fires in the northern county, and officials used those calls to remind residents that the burn ban was already in place.</p> <p>Neighbor status on Nov. 5 was uneven: Glasscock and Martin were under bans, while Borden, Dawson, Mitchell and Sterling were not.</p> <h2>Practical Steps Before Opening Weekend</h2> <p>Brush piles can wait. Keep fence lines and pile sites mowed, brief arriving hunters on campfires and welding, and watch shredding and grinding near dry grass. If you still burn household trash under a county exception, follow the grate, water, attendance and tool rules the fire department has stressed. A Class C misdemeanor for violating a burn ban carries a fine of up to $500 under Texas Local Government Code Section 352.081, and escaped fire can bring civil liability.</p> <h2>Deer Season Around Big Spring</h2> <p>Howard County is in TPWD’s North Zone for white-tailed deer. Archery ran Oct. 3 through Nov. 6. General season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a bag of five deer, no more than two bucks. Youth-only dates include Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 and Jan. 4 through 17. Quail season opened Nov. 1. Dove rules split at Interstate 20, so check whether your place sits north or south of the highway before guests arrive.</p> <h2>Reading West Texas Land Prices</h2> <p>Howard County sits in the West Texas land market region tracked by the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M. In second quarter 2026, the center put the West Texas average at $2,947 an acre, up 12.9 percent year over year, with sales up 6.3 percent and acres sold down 11.8 percent.</p> <p>Those numbers are regional, not a price tag for a specific ranch southeast of Big Spring. Oilfield access, water, improvements and tract size move the needle more than the headline average. Sellers should lean on recent comps. Buyers should expect smaller recreational tracts to show higher per-acre prices than large working ranches.</p> <h2>Talk With a Howard County Ranch Broker</h2> <p>If you are thinking about a sale, an estate settlement or a hunting lease before Nov. 7, Lee, Lee & Puckitt can walk through comparable sales and current demand. Reach the team at 325.655.6989 or llpranchland.com.</p> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2> <p><strong>Is there a burn ban in Howard County right now?</strong></p> <p>Yes. As of Nov. 5, 2026, Texas A&M Forest Service data showed a countywide burn ban in effect since Aug. 27. Outdoor burning is prohibited until the commissioners court lifts it.</p> <p><strong>When does deer season open in Howard County?</strong></p> <p>White-tailed general season opens Nov. 7, 2026, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027, with a limit of five deer, no more than two bucks.</p> <p><strong>Who is a ranch Broker for Howard County?</strong></p> <p>Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across West Texas since 1962 and works Howard County properties around Big Spring.</p> <p><strong>How do I choose the best ranch Broker for Howard County land?</strong></p> <p>Favor a Broker with closed rural sales in the Permian Basin, familiarity with water, wildlife and oilfield easements, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions supported by local comps.</p> <h2>About Lee, Lee & Puckitt</h2> <p>Founded in Bronte in 1962 and based in San Angelo since 1977, Lee, Lee & Puckitt is a ranch-focused brokerage whose partners are ranchers. Brokers and Agents handle sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions and advocate for landowners across Texas.</p> <h2>Sources</h2> <ul> <li>Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban data via BurnBanTexas, Howard County, accessed Nov. 5, 2026: <a href=”https://burnbantexas.com/county/howard">https://burnbantexas.com/county/howard</a></li>; <li>Big Spring Herald, “Grass Fire Outside Forsan,” Sept. 8, 2026: <a href=”https://www.bigspringherald.com/news/grass-fire-outside-forsan/article_a50590eb-6f82-4ad7-a001-c60a6323dcd1.html">https://www.bigspringherald.com/news/grass-fire-outside-forsan/article_a50590eb-6f82-4ad7-a001-c60a6323dcd1.html</a></li>; <li>Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Outdoor Annual, Howard County regulations, 2026 to 2027: <a href=”https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/howard">https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/howard</a></li>; <li>Texas Real Estate Research Center, Rural Land Fall 2026 / “Has the Texas Rural Land Market Hit a Plateau?,” Oct. 28, 2026: <a href=”https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/rural-land-has-the-texas-rural-land-market-hit-a-plateau/">https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/rural-land-has-the-texas-rural-land-market-hit-a-plateau/</a></li>; <li>Texas Real Estate Research Center, Texas Rural Land Markets, Second Quarter 2026: <a href=”https://trerc.tamu.edu/reports/texas-rural-land-markets-second-quarter-2026/">https://trerc.tamu.edu/reports/texas-rural-land-markets-second-quarter-2026/</a></li>; <li>Related: <a href=”https://www.llpranchland.com/listings/west-texas-and-hill-country">West Texas and Hill Country listings</a>, <a href=”https://www.llpranchland.com/services">Broker's Price Opinions</a>, <a href=”https://www.llpranchland.com/farm-ranch-news/mitchell-county-ranch-news-flash-flooding-near-colorado-city-nudges-champion-creek-to-45-percent">Mitchell County Ranch News: Flash Flooding Near Colorado City Nudges Champion Creek to 45 Percent</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (<a href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard_County_Courthouse,_Big_Spring,_Texas_(25828710024).jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howard_County_Courthouse,_Big_Spring,_Texas_(25828710024).jpg</a>;). Cropped.</em></p>
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