McCulloch County ranchers are heading into deer season with no burn ban, after commissioners lifted the Aug. 24 order effective Oct. 1 because of rain. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), the San Angelo-based ranch Broker that works the Brady country, checked the burn status, the Nov. 7 opener and a missing-calf report, then went back to Brady’s cattle-drive days for some local history.
Burn Ban Lifted After October Rain
The McCulloch County website states that the burn ban enacted Aug. 24, 2026, was lifted effective Oct. 1 due to recent rainfall. Texas A&M Forest Service data compiled by BurnBanTexas showed no ban in McCulloch County on Nov. 6, and Brown, Coleman, Concho, Mason, Menard and San Saba counties were also clear. Federal drought.gov data ranked this September as the 17th driest in 132 years for the county, so a dry spell can still bring the ban back. Confirm with the county before burning.
A Missing Calf Near Brady
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association reported on Oct. 5 that a red, motley-faced heifer calf, about four months old with no brands or markings, vanished from a place three miles northwest of Brady after Sept. 7. Anyone with information can call the Operation Cow Thief tip line at 817.916.1775. Unbranded calves are hard to prove, so tagging, photos and regular counts help owners.
Deer and Turkey Dates
McCulloch County is in TPWD’s North Zone. White-tailed general season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a five-deer limit and no more than two bucks. Fall turkey season opens Nov. 7, and unbearded hens are off limits. Central Zone dove season reopens Dec. 11.
History: When Brady Ranchers Drove Cattle to Kansas
The Handbook of Texas says the Comanche threat delayed settlement until the 1870s, and Brady grew from land donated for a townsite by Henry and Nancy Fulcher, the first settlers on Brady Creek. County offices were filled and Brady became county seat in 1876. The 1870 census counted 173 people, and by 1880 the number was 1,533.
Stock raising dominated. The 1880 census listed 12,264 cattle and 12,437 sheep on 87 farms, and in the 1870s and 1880s local ranchers drove cattle to Kansas markets. As land filled up, fence-cutting incidents followed, though the Handbook says the shift to enclosed pastures came with relatively little violence. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway arrived in 1903, ending long drives and making Brady a major shipping point for Central Texas. The geographic center of Texas also lies in northeastern McCulloch County, sixteen miles northeast of Brady.
Land Market Context
TRERC groups McCulloch County in its Austin-Waco-Hill Country region, where second quarter 2026 prices averaged $8,040 an acre, up 8.63 percent, on a typical tract of 199 acres. That region spans the Austin and Waco areas as well as rural Central Texas counties, so a Brady-area ranch can trade very differently from the regional average. Local comparable sales matter far more.
Talk With a McCulloch County Ranch Broker
For a sale, estate or Broker’s Price Opinion in McCulloch County, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a burn ban in McCulloch County? No. The county lifted its burn ban effective Oct. 1, 2026, and state data showed none on Nov. 6. Conditions can change, so check with the county.
Who is a ranch Broker in McCulloch County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across Texas since 1962 and works McCulloch County and the Brady area.
Where can I find land for sale in McCulloch County? See current listings at llpranchland.com or call 325.655.6989 with your acreage and water needs. We can bring recent comparable sales.
How do I choose the best ranch Broker in McCulloch County? Look for closed rural sales nearby, knowledge of water, grass, wildlife and fences, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions built on local comparable sales.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
Lee, Lee & Puckitt has served Texas since 1962, founded in Bronte and based in San Angelo since 1977. Our Brokers and Agents handle ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions, and we advocate for landowners.
Sources
- McCulloch County, Texas, Burn Ban Status page, accessed Nov. 6, 2026: https://www.co.mcculloch.tx.us/page/mcculloch.burnban
- Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban data via BurnBanTexas, McCulloch County, Nov. 6, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/mcculloch
- Drought.gov, McCulloch County conditions: https://www.drought.gov/states/texas/county/mcculloch
- Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, “Crime watch: Heifer calf missing in McCulloch County,” Oct. 5, 2026: https://tscra.org/crime-watch-heifer-calf-missing-in-mcculloch-county/
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Outdoor Annual, McCulloch County regulations, 2026 to 2027: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/mcculloch
- History: Handbook of Texas Online, “McCulloch County” (Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl), Texas State Historical Association: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mcculloch-county
- History: Handbook of Texas Online, “Brady, TX” (Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl), Texas State Historical Association: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/brady-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, Menard County Ranch News: Burn Ban Lifted and a First Monarch Festival on the San Saba
Photo: Renegomezphotography, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McCulloch_County_Courthouse_Brady.jpg). Cropped.
