On Nov. 6, the first 1,000 native trees went into the ground along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville as part of a long recovery plan, and the next morning North Zone deer season opened across Kerr County with no burn ban on the books. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) is a San Angelo-based ranch Broker serving Kerrville and Kerr County, and we pulled the restoration story, deer dates, Hill Country land figures and a short look at the ranch country that grew up along this river.
Guadalupe River Tree Planting
KSAT reported on Nov. 6, 2026, that the San Antonio Botanical Garden planted the first 1,000 native trees in Kerrville to start a five-year plan for 50,000 trees. Seeds came from more than 850,000 collected along the river, and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has invested $3 million in the effort after damaging Hill Country floods. For riverside landowners, that kind of riparian work is practical stewardship: shade, bank stability and wildlife cover along a river that still draws hunters and recreation buyers.
No Burn Ban Heading Into Deer Season
BurnBanTexas, updated Nov. 7, 2026, at 5:00 AM CST from Texas A&M Forest Service data, showed no burn ban for Kerr County. The prior ban had been lifted Oct. 2 after being enacted Aug. 19. Neighboring Edwards, Kimble and Real counties still had bans that morning, while Bandera, Gillespie and Kendall did not. Cownty’s Nov. 3 map showed Kerr with no drought category. Confirm conditions with the county before any outdoor burning, since Hill Country grass and cedar can dry out quickly between rains.
Deer Season Dates in Kerr County
Kerr County is North Zone for white-tailed deer. The bag is five deer, no more than two bucks. Archery ran Oct. 3 through Nov. 6. General season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a special late season Jan. 4 through 17 for antlerless and unbranched antlered bucks. Fall turkey in the North Zone runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3. There is no mule deer season. Quail season is Nov. 1 through Feb. 28.
What Hill Country Land Data Shows
Texas A&M’s Texas Real Estate Research Center places Kerr County in the Austin-Waco-Hill Country region. In second quarter 2026 that region averaged $8,040 an acre, up 8.63 percent from a year earlier and a regional record, with 1,062 sales, a typical tract of 199 acres and $425.16 million in dollar volume. Those are regional averages. River frontage, views, water rights and hunting quality still separate one Kerr County ranch from the next.
History: From Shingle Camp to the Y O Ranch
The Handbook of Texas entry on Kerr County by Mark Odintz traces early settlement to Joshua D. Brown, who led ten men to the Guadalupe in 1846 for a cypress-shingle camp, was driven off, and returned in 1848 to what became Brownsborough and later Kerrville. Camp Verde was established July 8, 1855. By 1860 the county held 634 people, more than 4,000 cattle and 1,100 sheep, with only 2,201 acres in crops. In 1880 Charles Armand Schreiner founded the Y O Ranch, which grew into an immense cattle, sheep and goat operation that at one time reached about 600,000 acres. By 1930 Kerrville was called the Mohair Capital of the World, with 154,468 sheep and about 160,000 goats. That livestock foundation still sits under today’s recreational ranch market.
Talk With a Kerr County Ranch Broker
For selling, buying or valuing land in Kerr County, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a burn ban in Kerr County? No. Texas A&M Forest Service data showed no ban on Nov. 7, 2026, after a lift on Oct. 2. Confirm with the county before burning.
Who is a ranch Broker in Kerr County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across Texas since 1962 and works Kerr County and the surrounding Texas Hill Country.
Where can I find land for sale in Kerr County? Browse llpranchland.com, then call 325.655.6989 with acreage, river or creek frontage, and hunting goals in mind. Our Brokers can also pull recent comparable sales.
How do I choose the best ranch Broker in Kerr County? Favor Brokers with closed Hill Country sales, a clear handle on water and recreation value, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions built from local comps rather than statewide averages alone.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt has served Texas since 1962. The firm was founded in Bronte and has operated from San Angelo since 1977. Our Brokers and Agents handle ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions, and we stand up for landowners.
Sources
- KSAT, “1K native trees planted along Guadalupe River as restoration effort begins,” Nov. 6, 2026: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/11/06/1k-native-trees-planted-along-guadalupe-river-as-restoration-effort-begins/
- Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban data via BurnBanTexas, Kerr County, Nov. 7, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/kerr
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Outdoor Annual, Kerr County regulations, 2026 to 2027: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/kerr
- Cownty Texas drought map, updated Nov. 3, 2026: https://cownty.com/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/
- Handbook of Texas, “Kerr County,” Mark Odintz: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/kerr-county
- Related: West Texas and Hill Country listings, Land appraisals, Texas Ranch News: Hill Country Ranch Sales Hold Near Last Year as Big-Ticket Buyers Move Up in Price, Real County Ranch News: Leakey Homestead Values Climb as the Frio Canyon Recovers from July Flooding
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_nature_center_kerrville_tx.jpg). Cropped.
