Martin County kept its burn ban in place even after an Oct. 30 flash flood warning put water over roads in Stanton, and landowners now face the Nov. 7 white-tailed opener with Panhandle mule deer dates still ahead. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) is a San Angelo-based ranch Broker serving Martin County, and we collected the burn status, the flood note, deer rules and Panhandle-South Plains land numbers for this stretch of cotton and ranch country.
Burn Ban Still in Effect
BurnBanTexas, updated Nov. 7, 2026, at 5:00 AM CST from Texas A&M Forest Service data, listed a burn ban for Martin County with an effective date going back to Jan. 28, 2026. Neighboring Andrews, Glasscock and Howard counties also had bans that morning, while Borden, Dawson, Gaines and Midland did not. Confirm the active order with Martin County before any outdoor burning. Cotton and harvest burns sometimes carry exemptions under state rules, but do not assume an exemption without checking the county’s current order. A county burn-ban violation is a Class C misdemeanor under Texas Local Government Code Section 352.081, with a fine of up to $500.
Oct. 30 Flash Flooding in Stanton
On Oct. 30, 2026, the National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa issued a Flash Flood Warning for central Martin County through mid-morning. Spotters reported 1 to 2 inches of rain, roads under water in Stanton, and the chance of another inch. The warning was reported by secondary weather-news outlets citing NWS Midland/Odessa. Short bursts of heavy rain can still leave a dry county under a burn ban once the water runs off, which is the mix Martin County landowners are managing now. Cownty’s Nov. 3 map placed Martin in D1 Moderate drought.
White-Tailed and Panhandle Mule Deer Rules
White-tailed deer in Martin County are North Zone, with a bag of three deer, no more than one buck and no more than two antlerless. Archery ran Oct. 3 through Nov. 6. General season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. Mule deer follow Panhandle zone rules: a legal buck needs an outside main-beam spread of at least 20 inches, and a spike or unbranched-antler buck is not legal unless it meets that spread. Mule deer archery ran Oct. 3 through Nov. 20. General mule deer season runs Nov. 21 through Dec. 6, 2026, with a one-buck bag for all seasons. Fall turkey in the North Zone runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3. Quail season is Nov. 1 through Feb. 28.
Panhandle-South Plains Land Market Context
Texas A&M’s Texas Real Estate Research Center places Martin County in the Panhandle and South Plains region. In second quarter 2026 that region averaged $1,719 an acre, down 7.53 percent from a year earlier, with a typical tract of 403 acres, 313 sales (down 10.32 percent), acres sold down 19.28 percent and dollar volume of $79.98 million (down 25.36 percent). Those figures point to cooler ag-land demand, not a valuation of any Stanton-area ranch. Minerals, irrigation and cotton or grazing productivity still dominate local pricing.
Talk With a Martin County Ranch Broker
For a conversation about selling, buying or valuing land in Martin County, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a burn ban in Martin County? Yes. Texas A&M Forest Service data listed a ban on Nov. 7, 2026. Confirm with the county before burning, including any agricultural exceptions.
Who is a ranch Broker in Martin County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across Texas since 1962 and works Martin County and the surrounding Permian Basin and South Plains country.
Where can I find land for sale in Martin County? See current listings at llpranchland.com, then call 325.655.6989 with acreage, water and minerals in mind. Our Brokers can also review recent sales.
How do I choose the best ranch Broker in Martin County? Look for closed rural sales nearby, familiarity with minerals, cotton and grazing land, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions built from local comparable sales.
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
- Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban data via BurnBanTexas, Martin County, Nov. 7, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/martin
- Flash Flood Warning coverage citing NWS Midland/Odessa, Oct. 30, 2026: https://tnwweather.com/breaking-news/flash-flood-warning-for-martin-county-through-10-45-am
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Outdoor Annual, Martin County regulations, 2026 to 2027: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/martin
- 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/
- Related: West Texas and Hill Country listings, Land appraisals, Howard County Ranch News: Burn Ban Holds After Forsan Grass Fires as Deer Season Nears, Andrews County Ranch News: Burn Ban Runs Through Dec. 21 as Deer Season Opens Nov. 7
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Martin_county_tx_courthouse_2014.jpg). Cropped.
