Do you know what the purple paint law is?

[Jstpssng]

We were working on a timber cruise downstate and formed a plan. Two of us would get dropped off on one lot, then the driver would go do another smaller tract. We pulled into a posted road which was lined with NP signs, drove past a house and kept on going... I was in the back seat, thinking "this ain't right." Just as I was going to say that we might want to form a different plan the driver said "We've got company." A very POed landowner had come up behind us. They got out and talked to him and eventually got permission to go down the road, but it would have been a lot better if we'd stopped and asked.
The ironic part is that they both would like us to restrict our client's land, giving them more hunting space; whereas I had a traditional Mainer's disdain for gates and signs. I also haven't seen a gate which I can't get through, if I need to get on the other side. Yet a string or sign will keep me from using a road, and I will ask if I need to cross occupied ground.

 

[Sigarms]

I also haven't seen a gate which I can't get through, if I need to get on the other side. Yet a string or sign will keep me from using a road, and I will ask if I need to cross occupied ground.

On one road by our property, I never replaced the gate which had the posts removed by the untility company for a new pole. It's open for anyone to drive on in an open field to a much large tract of open space "down back".

Only person who will use that road is my neighbor's friends, at night, if they want to do some coon hunting. My neighbor can use my property because he uses common sense, and he knows my rules.

Even the utility company knows to call me before they go down that field if they want to look at a power line down back.

General rule of life is don't mess with a mans dog, wife or his money (not in that order LOL). Land is a part of money LOL

 

[dmccarty]

NC added the purple paint marking for property lines a few years ago. I use it instead of signs because it is easier, faster, and longer lasting.

I have had signs pulled down by people but most of the time the signs were removed by squirrels. I can see where their claws poked into the signs, the signs are made from Tyvek type material, and the squirrels seem to hang from the sign and pull it down over time. A person will make the sign disappear, the tree rats are just climbing on the trees, running across the sign, and eventually the sign gets pulled down or hangs from stable.

People will ignore signs or paint. They will lie and say they do not know what the purple paint means. Some won't know but many who are trespassing know full well what the signs and purple paint means. Their pleading of ignorance should still get them cited for trespassing.

A big reason I post the land is to minimize liability. It is almost impossible to sue a property owner for liability when one is committing a criminal act.

Later,
Dan

 

[grsthegreat]

In idaho its orange paint every 600 ft.

 

[crashz]

NY enacted the purple paint law in 2020 and NH in 2021. I think we'll use that to mark the NY property. Signs disappear and tree stands appear every year.

 

[dadiehl]

Pennsylvania has done nothing to educate the public about the purple paint law. If I didn’t have to take legal updates I would never have known. Funny thing is along our state game lands and a huge water authority here they use paint to let you know you CAN play there. A little education of the public would go a long way.

 

[Jstpssng]

Pennsylvania has done nothing to educate the public about the purple paint law. If I didn’t have to take legal updates I would never have known. Funny thing is along our state game lands and a huge water authority here they use paint to let you know you CAN play there. A little education of the public would go a long way.

It's under "Laws" in the hunting section of your state's website. I learned a long time ago to read my lawbook every year, and keep a copy on hand whenever I'm hunting or fishing with somebody. The only time that I've ever blatantly broken a fish and game law was when with somebody who "knew the area."

 

[jjp8182]

Given the spacing requirements here in Alabama (no more than 100ft between postings for forested areas and no more than 1000ft on other than forested), buying and keeping up enough signs on a forested property for it to be legally meaningful would quickly rise in cost for even a moderately sized property (especially when signs may walk-off).

Signs and paint may not stop some but at least they were notified.

May just be the way I was raised, but even if/when it's legal I have a hard time going on someone else's property unless I have business with either the owner or other legal user/occupant of the property. My mindset tends to be more toward: If it's not public land/park and it's not mine, what business to I have being there?

 

[newbury]

May just be the way I was raised, but even if/when it's legal I have a hard time going on someone else's property unless I have business with either the owner or other legal user/occupant of the property. My mindset tends to be more toward: If it's not public land/park and it's not mine, what business to I have being there?

The way I was raised (in Vermont in the '60's) if it wasn't posted you were free to wander as long as you didn't take anything (other than legal wildlife), leave anything, damage anything.
Most often our "business" would be fishing little trout streams. But often it would be sledding or general hiking about.

 

[Oaktree]

The way I was raised (in Vermont in the '60's) if it wasn't posted you were free to wander as long as you didn't take anything (other than legal wildlife), leave anything, damage anything.
Most often our "business" would be fishing little trout streams. But often it would be sledding or general hiking about.

Same here, as long as you don't vandalize, dump trash or steal something I don't see why some people get their shorts into such a knot over it.
In fact, in my state if you have your land in current use (a tax category that reduces property taxes on parcels of land over a certain size), you are not allowed to post it to foot or equestrian traffic (though you can prohibit motor vehicle accesss).

NY enacted the purple paint law in 2020 and NH in 2021.

I live in N.H. and had no idea we had such a law here until just now. Indeed, before reading this thread I had no idea what a "purple paint law" was...had never heard of it before, had to Google the term. I'll bet 99% of the population doesn't know either.
Seems stupid to me, how are people supposed to know what that means, it sure wasn't well-publicized.