<p>Outdoor burning remains off-limits across Reagan County while hunters get ready for opening weekend. Texas A&M Forest Service data compiled by BurnBanTexas still listed a countywide burn ban on Nov. 5, and the general white-tailed deer season opens Nov. 7. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland), a San Angelo-based ranch Broker that works Reagan County, pulled together the burn rules, deer dates and recent West Texas land figures that matter for owners around Big Lake.</p> <h2>Burn Ban Still Active Around Big Lake</h2> <p>The county’s own website notes that the countywide burn ban is in effect. BurnBanTexas, drawing on Texas A&M Forest Service feeds, showed the same status on Nov. 5 and listed a long-running effective date of June 22, 2020.</p> <p>While the ban is active, outdoor burning of trash, brush piles, leaves, fields and open campfires is prohibited. Propane cooking on enclosed grills is usually allowed, but welding, cutting and grinding can carry extra precautions. Confirm exceptions with the Reagan County fire marshal, sheriff’s office or county judge before lighting anything. Violating a county burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor under Texas Local Government Code Section 352.081, with a fine of up to $500, plus civil risk if a fire escapes.</p> <p>Neighbor status on Nov. 5 was mixed: Glasscock, Midland, Tom Green and Upton were under bans, while Crockett, Irion and Sterling were not.</p> <h2>What It Means on the Ranch</h2> <p>For most Reagan County places, that means brush piles wait and hunters need a clear talk about campfires and welding before they arrive. Keep pile sites and pens mowed, watch equipment work near cured grass, and make sure guests know the ban covers unincorporated ground as well as ranch camps. If you planned a winter prescribed burn, keep the plan current so it is ready once commissioners lift or renew the order.</p> <h2>Deer Season Dates Near Big Lake</h2> <p>Reagan County sits in TPWD’s North Zone for white-tailed deer. Archery ran Oct. 3 through Nov. 6. The general season runs Nov. 7, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, with a bag limit of five deer, no more than two bucks, all seasons combined. Youth-only windows include Oct. 30 through Nov. 1 and Jan. 4 through 17, and a special late season Jan. 4 through 17 is limited to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks.</p> <p>The county also carries Trans-Pecos mule deer dates: archery Oct. 3 through Nov. 26 and general season Nov. 27 through Dec. 13, with a bag limit of one buck for all mule deer seasons combined. Quail season opened statewide Nov. 1. Landowners hosting hunters should post rules on carcass care, gates and livestock before opening day.</p> <h2>West Texas Land Prices as Context</h2> <p>Reagan County sits in the energy and ranch mosaic of West Texas. In its second quarter 2026 rural land report, the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M put the West Texas region average at $2,947 an acre, up 12.9 percent from a year earlier. Sales rose 6.3 percent while total acres sold fell 11.8 percent, and the typical tract size was about 374 acres.</p> <p>Regional averages are a starting point, not an appraisal. A small recreational tract with highway frontage can trade very differently from a large working ranch with minerals, water wells or oilfield activity. Sellers should price from recent comparable sales. Buyers may find more room on longer-listed places.</p> <h2>Talk With a Reagan County Ranch Broker</h2> <p>Whether you are weighing a sale, settling an estate or lining up a hunting lease before the Nov. 7 opener, Lee, Lee & Puckitt can help with local comparable sales and a practical read on demand. Call 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.</p> <h2>Frequently Asked Questions</h2> <p><strong>Is there a burn ban in Reagan County right now?</strong></p> <p>Yes. As of Nov. 5, 2026, Texas A&M Forest Service data showed a countywide burn ban still in effect. Outdoor burning is prohibited until commissioners lift the order. Confirm with county officials before any burn.</p> <p><strong>When does deer season open in Reagan County?</strong></p> <p>White-tailed general season opens Nov. 7, 2026, and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. Mule deer general season runs Nov. 27 through Dec. 13, 2026.</p> <p><strong>Who is a ranch Broker for Reagan County?</strong></p> <p>Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, has represented ranch buyers and sellers across West Texas since 1962 and works Reagan County properties around Big Lake.</p> <p><strong>How do I choose the best ranch Broker for Reagan County land?</strong></p> <p>Look for a Broker with closed rural sales in the Permian and Concho country, a working knowledge of water, wildlife and oilfield access, and appraisals or Broker’s Price Opinions backed by local data.</p> <h2>About Lee, Lee & Puckitt</h2> <p>Lee, Lee & Puckitt started in Bronte in 1962 and has called San Angelo home since 1977. The partners are ranchers, and the firm’s Brokers and Agents handle ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions while standing with landowners on the issues that affect their ground.</p> <h2>Sources</h2> <ul> <li>Reagan County, Texas, official county website (burn ban notice), accessed Nov. 5, 2026: <a href=”https://www.co.reagan.tx.us/">https://www.co.reagan.tx.us/</a></li>; <li>Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban data via BurnBanTexas, Reagan County, accessed Nov. 5, 2026: <a href=”https://burnbantexas.com/county/reagan">https://burnbantexas.com/county/reagan</a></li>; <li>Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Outdoor Annual, Reagan County regulations, 2026 to 2027: <a href=”https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/reagan">https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/reagan</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#land-appraisals">Land appraisals</a>, <a href=”https://www.llpranchland.com/farm-ranch-news/upton-county-ranch-news-october-rain-follows-extreme-drought-and-an-airtag-recovers-a-stolen-oilfield-meter">Upton County Ranch News: October Rain Follows Extreme Drought and an AirTag Recovers a Stolen Oilfield Meter</a></li> </ul> <p><em>Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (<a href=”https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reagan_county_tx_courthouse_2014.jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reagan_county_tx_courthouse_2014.jpg</a>;). Cropped.</em></p>
