Fall weather is finally rolling into Ellis County, and that means hunters, hikers, and weekend wanderers are heading back out into the woods and pastures. Before you cross a fence line, there’s a set of tree and post markings worth knowing, and one of them has real legal weight in Texas. Purple paint is the state’s version of a no-trespassing sign, and crossing it can lead to a criminal trespass charge.

Texas law is specific about how purple marks must be applied. They have to be at least 8 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 3 to 5 feet off the ground. On forest land, the marks can’t be spaced more than 100 feet apart, while on other land they can be up to 1,000 feet apart. Landowners use them because paint lasts longer than a sign and doesn’t come down in a storm.

Other colors carry meaning too. An orange X indicates government-owned property, and an orange slash means that tree is scheduled for removal, so it’s not a safe spot for a blind or stand. White-painted trunks, more common outside Texas, are a treatment that protects trees from sunscald damage to the bark. Knowing the difference takes about two minutes and can save you a lot of trouble.

Have you ever come across purple paint on a property line around Waxahachie? Tell us where, and whether you knew what it meant.