Do you know what the purple paint law is?

[MoKelly]

And how, pray tell are these people supposed to know who owns a given piece of property? I mostly know who owns what on my road, but beyond that not really.

"Country manners"? As others have noted, customs (and laws) differ from one region to another. As Jstpssng and a couple others have noted, here in the northeast land is considered open unless specifically posted, and at least here in N.H. you can't prohibit foot access if your land is under current use designation (though you can restrict motorized access). Northern New England is about as "country" as it gets.

What I don't get is the mentality some here have that anyone on your land is there for nefarious purposes, and should be greeted with a shotgun.

It doesn’t seem rocket science to me.

If you don’t own the land and you don’t know who does own the land and it’s not a park, stay off.

It’s not yours.

Some folks just seem to think they are entitled to whatever they want whenever they want.

MoKelly

 

[MossRoad]

And how, pray tell are these people supposed to know who owns a given piece of property? I mostly know who owns what on my road, but beyond that not really.

"Country manners"? As others have noted, customs (and laws) differ from one region to another. As Jstpssng and a couple others have noted, here in the northeast land is considered open unless specifically posted, and at least here in N.H. you can't prohibit foot access if your land is under current use designation (though you can restrict motorized access). Northern New England is about as "country" as it gets.

What I don't get is the mentality some here have that anyone on your land is there for nefarious purposes, and should be greeted with a shotgun.

We have a county GIS system on-line. You call up a map, poke a pin on a place, and it gives you a report of who owns the land, the owner's address, how big it is, how much it's appraised at, taxes, etc.

You're fortunate to live in a place where it's common to be able to just go out and tromp through the woods, fields, rivers, streams and lakes to hike, fish, hunt. It's normal there. It's not normal in most other places in the U.S.

Here, for example, there is a road exactly every mile, north, south, east and west. The squares are 640 acres. Most are divided into 8 - 80 acre parcels, and separated by fence. There are usually 4-8 houses in each square. Many are divided into 40, then 20, then 5 or 1 acre lots, or, sometimes into entire subdivisions of many smaller lots and roads. So about the farthest we can ever get from a road is about 1/2 of a mile. There are a few exceptions, but mostly, that is the norm.

Most people live in the areas where they know each other and get permission to traverse the neighboring properties to hunt, fish, walk, ride horses, etc. However, all land here is assumed private and closed, even without posting, unless you have permission from the owners.

 

[the old grind]

Country Manners? Sure, more of that here on TBN than in many 'locations'. But it starts with common sense and common courtesy no matter where you're 'from'. IMO trespass is a 'sin' if not a crime. If you don't go into people's houses without an invitation why their yard/field/forest without one? Because "Nobody's lookin'?" Yeah, that's not just entitlement.

btw, where is that land that nobody owns?

 

[Jstpssng]

It doesn’t seem rocket science to me.

If you don’t own the land and you don’t know who does own the land and it’s not a park, stay off.

It’s not yours.

Some folks just seem to think they are entitled to whatever they want whenever they want.

MoKelly

In YOUR state. We have millions of acres of open space here. Much of it is open to the public in some way shape or form. We also have a very good law enforcement community which helps to keep out the riff raff. If I have an ATV problem I don't deal with it; I call the game warden for that area and he takes care of it. If somebody dumps a car or leaves 10 gallons of waste oil, I call the local Forest Ranger and he takes care of it. Every year they organise a cleanup weekend, and pick up after the slobs.
Sometimes it's annoying but you know what; it's also nice to see people out enjoying the day, or taking the kids out for their first hunt.
If you like the way things are in your state that's fine. I'm the last one to tell you to do things differently. But if you think that everyplace should be just like yours than please stay home.

 

[Jstpssng]

Country Manners? Sure, more of that here on TBN than in many 'locations'. But it starts with common sense and common courtesy no matter where you're 'from'. IMO trespass is a 'sin' if not a crime. If you don't go into people's houses without an invitation why their yard/field/forest without one? Because "Nobody's lookin'?" Yeah, that's not just entitlement.

btw, where is that land that nobody owns?

There's a big difference between your living room and a 1000 acre tract of land.

 

[Hay Dude]

There's a big difference between your living room and a 1000 acre tract of land.

No, there isn’t.
Land is land

 

[Jstpssng]

We have a county GIS system on-line. You call up a map, poke a pin on a place, and it gives you a report of who owns the land, the owner's address, how big it is, how much it's appraised at, taxes, etc.

You're fortunate to live in a place where it's common to be able to just go out and tromp through the woods, fields, rivers, streams and lakes to hike, fish, hunt. It's normal there. It's not normal in most other places in the U.S.

Here, for example, there is a road exactly every mile, north, south, east and west. The squares are 640 acres. Most are divided into 8 - 80 acre parcels, and separated by fence. There are usually 4-8 houses in each square. Many are divided into 40, then 20, then 5 or 1 acre lots, or, sometimes into entire subdivisions of many smaller lots and roads. So about the farthest we can ever get from a road is about 1/2 of a mile. There are a few exceptions, but mostly, that is the norm.

Most people live in the areas where they know each other and get permission to traverse the neighboring properties to hunt, fish, walk, ride horses, etc. However, all land here is assumed private and closed, even without posting, unless you have permission from the owners.

It is. It also takes work to keep access open. I don't believe that the government should be in the business of owning land; yet there are many tangible benefits of outdoor recreation. It's good for the economy. It's healthy for people to get out rather than sit inside watching video games. As I pointed out in a previous post; it also reflects the viewpoints of the people who settled the land 250 or so years ago.

The down side is that our land is cheap; so a lot of people with viewpoints expressed here buy it just to lock it up. Land isn't like a house or a boat; it isn't mobile, and they don't make any more of it. I was talking to a Vermonter last year who comes up to hunt, fish, and look for moose horns. (Antlers). He said how he likes coming up because we don't control access. Then he told me where he stays... his 150 acres is all posted.

The local general store sells signs;
"Welcome sports. If your land isn't posted or gated, feel free to pass.
If your land is posted or gated, please stay off mine."

I've worked in New York and Pennsylvania. It's much different than what I'm used to. In both states, coworkers were threatened by hunters who lease the land. In NY the guy felt that he would have been justified to shoot them, if they hadn't stopped.
We are working for the landowner; they are just renting it. In other words THEY are the guests.
I can't understand that mentality. Then again, I can't understand the mentality which says it's OK to shoot somebody because they are standing on something you feel is yours. Especially knowing first hand how many people don't own as much as they think they do.

 

[Hay Dude]

I for one, am not suggesting shooting anyone.
However, I was tempted a few times when trespassers walked under my tree stand while bowhunting deer.
Law breakin dopes.….
Ruined my entire hunting day, loaded the area with human scent, too.

 

[geohorn]

EVERYONE knows that “Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse!”

The Texas Penal Code 30.05 Criminal Trespass provides for the use of purple paint to mark property boundaries. Purple markings are required to be vertical lines, 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. The bottom of the markings must be between 3 – 5 feet above the ground. Purple markings can be spaced no more than 100 feet apart in wooded areas and no more than 1000 feet apart in open areas. Markings must be placed in areas visible to anyone approaching the property. Posted signs are still recommended at all access points and gates.

Purple markings should be taken just as seriously as posted signs and you should not trespass on anyone’s land. Always contact the landowner if there’s a reason you need to enter their property. Trespassing is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas and if the trespasser is carrying a firearm, that becomes a Class A misdemeanor. Both are punishable by fines and imprisonment.

Class A Misdemeanor = $4,000 and/or up to 1 year in jail.
Class B Misdemeanor = $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.

If you are hunting, and shoot a deer which crosses into a marked property and you pursue the deer …. you are now subject to Class A Trespass. Even if the property is NOT marked, if it is ”under harvest” (has mature corn or other crop) it is also a Class A offense.

If you don’t know the laws where you are…. then you are subject to prosecution anyway. Doh.

 

[Jstpssng]

EVERYONE knows that “Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse!”

The Texas Penal Code 30.05 Criminal Trespass provides for the use of purple paint to mark property boundaries. Purple markings are required to be vertical lines, 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. The bottom of the markings must be between 3 – 5 feet above the ground. Purple markings can be spaced no more than 100 feet apart in wooded areas and no more than 1000 feet apart in open areas. Markings must be placed in areas visible to anyone approaching the property. Posted signs are still recommended at all access points and gates.

Purple markings should be taken just as seriously as posted signs and you should not trespass on anyone’s land. Always contact the landowner if there’s a reason you need to enter their property. Trespassing is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas and if the trespasser is carrying a firearm, that becomes a Class A misdemeanor. Both are punishable by fines and imprisonment.

Class A Misdemeanor = $4,000 and/or up to 1 year in jail.
Class B Misdemeanor = $2,000 and up to 180 days in jail.

If you are hunting, and shoot a deer which crosses into a marked property and you pursue the deer …. you are now subject to Class A Trespass. Even if the property is NOT marked, if it is ”under harvest” (has mature corn or other crop) it is also a Class A offense.

If you don’t know the laws where you are…. then you are subject to prosecution anyway. Doh.

As I mentioned before... when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Just because "that's the way it is here", don't mean I'm going to assume it's that way when visiting your state. (I don't think that orange stripes would suit me.)