What does the purple paint on Kansas trees and fences mean?

TOPEKA (KSNT) - While traveling around Kansas you may have come across some purple paint on a fence post or a tree. This might look out of place to most people but in the eyes of the law, it couldn't be a clearer sign.

In essence, purple paint can be seen as a "Keep Out" sign for private land in Kansas.

In 2012, Kansas passed a new law to punish those hunting on private land without the permission of the local landowner. The law allows landowners to put up signs marking their land as being open to hunting, trapping and/or fishing through written permission only.

The law says landowners may opt to use purple paint instead of posting signs on their land, according to the Kansas Legislature. This must be done by putting the paint on trees or posts in a vertical line at least eight inches in length, no less than three feet and no more than five feet high. Land marked in this way is considered to be accessible by written permission only.

Hunters pursuing wounded game through land not marked with purple paint cannot be held legally accountable under this law, according to the Kansas Legislature. However, if the landowner objects to the presence of a hunter, they must leave the area.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) recommends getting permission before entering someone's land to pursue a wounded animal. If you can't get in touch with the landowner, you can try contacting the local natural resource officer.

Those found violating the purple paint law face penalties in the form of fines ranging from $250 to $400 and possible jail time, according to the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes (K.S.A.).

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