325.655.6989

Starr County Ranch News: Screwworm Turns Up in a Dog and a Cow Near Rio Grande City as the Quarantine Returns

November 11, 2026  |  By Lee, Lee & Puckitt

Starr County Ranch News: Screwworm Turns Up in a Dog and a Cow Near Rio Grande City as the Quarantine Returns

Starr County had been out from under screwworm movement restrictions for less than a month when the pest showed up again. State animal health officials found it in a dog on Nov. 3 and in a bovine on Nov. 4, and most of the county now sits inside a redrawn infested zone. For cattle and hunting owners around Rio Grande City, Roma and Grulla, Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) lays out in plain terms what the new zone means for moving livestock.

How the Zone Came Back

TAHC had released an earlier infested zone covering parts of Starr and Zapata counties on Oct. 10. On Nov. 2, a detection in a Zapata County bovine led the agency to set up a new zone touching Jim Hogg, Starr and Zapata counties. The Nov. 3 dog case in Starr County, found in the area that had just been released, prompted a modified order the same day. The Nov. 4 cattle case brought a second modified order and the current boundary, Infested Zone 29.B.

The order credits owners who reported the cases quickly and warns that the risk of reintroduction remains.

What the Quarantine Requires

Under the Nov. 4 order, warm-blooded animals inside Zone 29.B may not leave the zone without prior authorization from TAHC. Before moving out, animals must be inspected and treated as the Commission requires and travel with a permit or certificate issued by a Commission representative. Hides, carcasses and other parts of animals that can host screwworm must also be inspected and treated before they leave.

KRGV reported Nov. 6 that most of Starr County is in the infested zone, while La Joya, Palmview, Sullivan City and parts of Mission fall in a surveillance zone. TAHC inspectors were checking cattle in the county, and Rio Grande City Animal Control Director Eli Gonzalez said city leaders and a local sale barn were discussing ways to educate owners.

Practical Steps for Owners

  • Check cattle, horses, goats and dogs for open or worsening wounds, especially navels on new calves and fresh brands or ear tags.
  • Call TAHC at 1-800-550-8242 for suspected livestock or pet cases, and TPWD at 512-389-4505 for wildlife.
  • Hunters cleaning deer inside the zone should ask TAHC how carcass and hide rules apply before hauling anything out.

Rain, Drought and Water

The U.S. Drought Monitor dropped Starr County from severe drought on Sept. 29 to moderate drought countywide from Oct. 6 onward. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s South district said Nov. 10 that a cool front brought widespread rain, though some areas missed out, and that cooler weather was helping reduce fly numbers. Falcon Reservoir, on the Rio Grande along the county’s western edge, held 21.6 percent of conservation capacity on Nov. 11, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Forest Service data still listed a countywide burn ban dated April 1, 2022.

Deer and Javelina

TPWD lists Starr County in the South Zone with a bag of 5 deer, no more than 3 bucks. General season runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 17, with a special late season Jan. 18 through 31. Javelina are open year round, 2 per license year. The South district report noted strong deer and quail numbers and more whitetail twins this fall.

South Texas Land Market

The Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M places Starr in a 10-county land market area with Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, La Salle, McMullen, Webb and Zapata. In the Center’s second quarter 2026 report, the South Texas region posted a median of $6,225 an acre, sales up 26.18 percent and a typical tract of 308 acres. Inside a quarantine area, buyers will ask about livestock handling and inspections, so have answers ready.

Work With Our Team

Since 2003 our team has closed more than 800,000 acres of ranch and farm land valued at more than $950 million in 67 counties in Texas and New Mexico, building on ranch sales that began in 1962. Call our Brokers and Agents at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is a ranch Broker serving Starr County? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, based in San Angelo, handles ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions across Texas, including South Texas brush and border country.

Where can I see land for sale in Starr County? See current listings at llpranchland.com and call 325.655.6989 with the size and use you want.

What should I expect from the best ranch Broker in Starr County? Closed rural sales, knowledge of brush, deer and cattle value, and pricing based on comparable sales.

Can I move cattle out of Starr County right now? Animals inside Infested Zone 29.B need TAHC authorization, inspection, treatment and a movement permit or certificate before leaving the zone. Call TAHC at 1-800-550-8242.

About Lee, Lee & Puckitt

From a start in Bronte in 1962 to its San Angelo headquarters today, Lee, Lee & Puckitt has been run by people who ranch. Our Brokers and Agents sell ranches and farms, appraise rural property, prepare Broker’s Price Opinions and advocate for landowners.

Sources

Photo: Hauteboy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_county_courthouse.jpg). Cropped.

Email
Return to Farm & Ranch News