05/17/2026
I've had a Wildlife Management exemption (essentially an exemption for hunting land) to keep the taxes low for the first 8 years.
Last year, Stephens County decided to raise the minimum requirement to 20 acres (I have 18.89 acres), and put in a huge valuation increase based on the cabin.
They have now started taxing the ranch land essentially as a residential property. The ranch is 2 miles down a dirt road with no... zero... zip... nada... services available.
I started talking with neighbors about buying 10 acres, then the county went and raised it again, to 30 acres. :(
So... I'm getting into beekeeping (tax exemption requiring only 5 acres).
I found a sweet deal on 7 used, complete 10 frame hives, with a full set of tools. Spent most of yesterday cleaning them out (bleach-water rinse, scorching the insides, etc.) at the house and let them dry overnight, so I could transport them to the ranch this morning.
I came out this morning to find a swarm already moving in... and I still need to transport it all 3+ hours to the ranch... good thing I rented an enclosed trailer!
