Four weeks ago every acre of Winkler County was in moderate drought or worse. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, valid Nov. 10, shows none, with about 46 percent of the county rated only abnormally dry. Lee, Lee & Puckitt (LLP Ranchland) covers the Permian Basin and Pecos Valley as a ranch Broker from San Angelo, and below we look at what the wet fall means for grass and stock water around Kermit and Wink, and at a few things buyers in this county should check that they might not think of elsewhere.
How Wet It Got
Drought.gov ranks October 2026 as Winkler County’s 25th wettest in 132 years, 1.24 inches above normal. For context, the Handbook of Texas lists average annual rainfall here at about 12 inches, so a month like that counts. The 30-day total through Nov. 13 ran close to three times normal, according to NOAA river forecast center estimates compiled by Cownty.
Neighboring Midland saw the same pattern. The Permian Press reported Nov. 3 that a long, gentle rain on Oct. 30 brought 1.65 inches at Midland’s MAF airport, pushing the October total there to about 2.6 inches. A light drizzle followed on Nov. 7.
What It Means for the Pasture
Texas A&M AgriLife’s Nov. 13 report for the Far West district described another week of slow, steady rain, half an inch to 2 inches in many areas, with pasture grasses greening back up and winter weeds and green grass coming on. Topsoil moisture ran from very short to surplus. That is welcome on sandy rangeland heading into winter, though a late green-up rarely makes up for a dry summer, and stocking decisions should still follow what is actually standing in the pasture. No countywide burn ban is listed for Winkler County in Texas A&M Forest Service data as of Nov. 14.
Hunting Dates
Winkler County falls in the Trans-Pecos mule deer unit, with general season Nov. 27 through Dec. 13 and a one-buck limit. White-tailed deer general season runs Nov. 7 through Jan. 3, 2027. Outside archery season, antlerless whitetails may be taken only with MLDP tags in this county. Javelina is open through Feb. 28, quail through Feb. 28, and sandhill crane Zone A through Jan. 31.
Due Diligence in Sinkhole Country
The Bureau of Economic Geology at UT Austin has studied two large sinkholes near Wink and Kermit for years. Wink Sink 1 formed on June 3, 1980, about 110 meters across, around an abandoned oil well. Wink Sink 2 opened on May 21, 2002, about a mile south, and has since grown to an oval 185 to 250 meters wide. Both sit in the Hendrick Oil Field. The Bureau ties the first to salt dissolution and collapse, says the cause of the second has not been determined but is thought to be related to an old water-supply well, and has used lidar and satellite radar to measure ground subsidence nearby.
For anyone buying land nearby, that history argues for a few extra steps: review old well locations and plugging records with the Railroad Commission, ask about any surface cracking or settling, test water wells, and talk with a qualified professional if the tract sits close to the known features. None of that makes the county a bad place to own land. It simply means buyers here should ask questions a buyer elsewhere might skip.
Far West Land Values
The Texas Real Estate Research Center places Winkler County in its Far West Texas region. Its second quarter 2026 report showed $1,139 an acre on only 20 annualized sales and cautioned that a handful of very large deals skew the numbers. Surface use, water, minerals and access separate tracts in this county, so a valuation should rest on comparable sales and a careful look at the property.
Work With LLP Ranchland
Whether you are thinking about selling grass, buying hunting land or valuing a family place near Kermit, call Lee, Lee & Puckitt at 325.655.6989 or visit llpranchland.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a ranch Broker for Winkler County land? Lee, Lee & Puckitt, headquartered in San Angelo, handles ranch sales, appraisals and Broker’s Price Opinions across the Permian Basin, including Winkler County.
How do I find land for sale in Winkler County? Search llpranchland.com, then call 325.655.6989 with the size, water and use you have in mind.
How do I pick the best ranch Broker for Winkler County? Look for knowledge of surface and mineral issues, oilfield history, water and hunting value, with pricing based on comparable sales.
Is Winkler County still in drought? No. The Nov. 10 U.S. Drought Monitor showed no drought in the county, with about 46 percent rated abnormally dry, after the whole county was in drought four weeks earlier.
About Lee, Lee & Puckitt
From a start in Bronte in 1962 to its home office in San Angelo, Lee, Lee & Puckitt has stayed a rancher-run firm. Its Brokers and Agents sell and appraise ranches across western Texas.
Sources
- Cownty, Winkler County page (U.S. Drought Monitor Nov. 10 map and 30-day rain), checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://cownty.com/county/winkler-tx
- Drought.gov, Winkler County conditions, checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://www.drought.gov/states/texas/county/winkler
- Permian Press, “Rainy October ends with a final gentle shower,” Nov. 3, 2026: https://www.permianpress.com/rainy-october-ends-with-a-final-gentle-shower/
- Permian Press, “First weekend of November brings drizzling rain,” Nov. 9, 2026: https://www.permianpress.com/first-weekend-of-november-brings-drizzling-rain/
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Crop and Weather Report, Nov. 13, 2026, by Adam Russell, as published in North Texas e-News: https://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_147455.shtml
- Burn Ban Texas, Winkler County (Texas A&M Forest Service data), checked Nov. 14, 2026: https://burnbantexas.com/county/winkler
- TPWD Outdoor Annual, Winkler County 2026-27: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/counties/winkler
- Bureau of Economic Geology, UT Austin, “Wink Sink”: https://www.beg.utexas.edu/research/programs/near-surface-observatory/wink-sink
- Handbook of Texas, “Winkler County”: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/winkler-county
- 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: Land appraisals, Contact LLP Ranchland, Ector County Ranch News: West Odessa Water Project Nears Construction as the County Stays Burn Ban Free
Photo: TexasExplorer98, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Winkler_County_Courthouse,_Kermit,_Texas.jpg). Cropped.
