The primitive area at Davis Mountains State Park reopened Nov. 11 after four days of public hunts, and mule deer season in the Trans-Pecos is only two weeks away. Jeff Davis County is off the drought map, October ranked among the wettest on record here, and a burn ban is still listed, a mix that landowners around Fort Davis need to sort out before they burn or turn hunters loose. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) serves this mountain ranch country from San Angelo, and here is the hunting calendar, the fire rule and a little of the country that grew up around the old fort.
Park Hunts and What Reopened
The Big Bend Times, as reported Nov. 8, said the primitive area of Davis Mountains State Park, across the highway from the park’s main developed area, was closed Nov. 7 through 10 for Texas Parks and Wildlife public hunts for aoudad, javelina and feral hogs, and that it would reopen Nov. 11. The rest of the park was not affected. The primitive area is scheduled to close again Feb. 20 through 23 for another hunt.
Mule Deer, Whitetail and Quail
Trans-Pecos mule deer archery season runs through Nov. 26. The general season opens Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 13, with a bag of one buck for all seasons combined. White-tailed deer general season is Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. Jeff Davis County is a North Zone county with a bag of 4 deer, no more than 2 bucks. Hunters may take quail through Feb. 28, 15 a day.
Written hunt leases still matter on large mountain ranches, where access, lodging and harvest rules need to be spelled out.
Drought-Free, Burn Ban Still Listed
The U.S. Drought Monitor valid Nov. 10 shows none of Jeff Davis County in drought. Drought.gov reports zero residents in drought and ranks October as the 4th wettest in 132 years here, 2.95 inches above normal. January through October ranks as the 43rd wettest, 1.32 inches above normal. Texas A&M Forest Service data, as compiled by Burn Ban Texas on Nov. 13, still listed a Jeff Davis County burn ban. The listed effective date on that feed is several years old, a sign the record may be stale, so check with the county before any outdoor burning. A drought-free map does not, by itself, lift a commissioners court order, and mountain fuels can still carry a fire on a dry, windy day. AgriLife’s Far West reporters said another week of slow, steady rain delivered 0.5 to 2 inches in many areas, pasture grasses greened back up, and livestock conditions ranged from poor to excellent. Feral pig damage increased, and New World screwworm remained a concern in the district.
A Fort, a Mail Road and Ranch Country
Fort Davis was established in 1854 to protect the San Antonio to El Paso road and the mail that traveled it. After troops of the Ninth United States Cavalry reoccupied the post in 1867, the town became a crossroads and, in the 1880s, a ranching center as cattlemen moved into the Trans-Pecos. Jeff Davis County was created in 1887, with Fort Davis as the county seat. The old post is now Fort Davis National Historic Site, dedicated in 1966, and the surrounding mountain ranches are still worked for cattle, wildlife and, in season, mule deer.
Far West Land Market Snapshot
The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M places Jeff Davis County in its Far West Texas region. The second quarter 2026 report showed a regional median of $1,139 an acre, up 73.89 percent from a year earlier, but the Center said that figure is heavily skewed by a limited sample of sales. Acres sold fell 45.26 percent. With so few trades, pricing a Davis Mountains ranch depends on comparable sales, water, access and improvements, not a regional average.
Call Our Brokers and Agents
For questions about mountain ranch land around Fort Davis, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a ranch Broker for Jeff Davis County property? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, a San Angelo firm, handles ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions in the Davis Mountains and across Far West Texas.
How can I find land for sale in Jeff Davis County? Look at listings on llpranchland.com and call 325.655.6989 with the acreage, water, elevation and hunting use you want.
What should the best ranch Broker for Jeff Davis County offer? Experience with large Trans-Pecos ranches, a careful use of scarce comparable sales, and a clear view of water, access and wildlife.
When does mule deer season open in Jeff Davis County? The Trans-Pecos general mule deer season opens Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 13, one buck for all seasons combined. Archery season ends Nov. 26.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt is a family ranch brokerage based in San Angelo, with a start in Bronte in 1962. Our Brokers and Agents work sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions, and they spend their time on the same kinds of country they help clients buy and sell.
Sources
- Outdoor Unc, “Davis Mountains State Park Closes Its Primitive Area for Public Hunts,” Nov. 8, 2026, citing the Big Bend Times: https://www.outdoorunc.com/public-land/davis-mountains-state-park-closes-its-primitive-area-for-public-hunts/
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Jeff Davis County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/jeff-davis
- U.S. Drought Monitor, maps valid Nov. 3 and Nov. 10, 2026: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
- Drought.gov, Jeff Davis County, Texas, conditions, checked Nov. 13, 2026: https://www.drought.gov/states/Texas/county/Jeff%20Davis
- Burn Ban Texas, Jeff Davis County (Texas A&M Forest Service data), checked Nov. 13, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/jeff-davis
- 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
- Handbook of Texas, “Fort Davis, TX”: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-davis-tx
- 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, Texas Ranch News: Mule Deer Season Opens Nov. 21 in the Panhandle With Numbers Still Above Average
Photo: John Cummings, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Davis_National_Historic_Site,_Texas_18.JPG). Cropped.
