If You See Purple Paint in the Woods, Turn Around Immediately

If you happen to stumble across this secret signal in the Hudson Valley, you need to get out there as quickly as you can.

Many people are unaware of the purple paint code, but it's something you should familiarize yourself with because New Yorkers could find themselves in big trouble for ignoring it.

Although not yet the law in New York, many property owners are using purple paint to warn trespassers that they are about to be in a heap of trouble. The "Purple Paint Bill" is currently in committee, a step before being introduced to the state senate floor. Sponsored by Senator James L. Seward from the 51st district of New York, the proposed law would allow property owners to use purple paint instead of "No Trespassing" signs to warn intruders to stay away.

The reason for the law is to allow homeowners to protect their property without the fear of having signs removed or damaged by would-be trespassers. The purple paint marks are easier to maintain and much harder for intruders to hide or tamper with. Currently, there are purple paint laws in effect in Texas, Kansas, Arizona, Montana, Arkansas, Idaho, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Missouri and Illinois. Like New York, other states are also considering adding the law to their books.

While the purple paint law is not official in New York yet, stories of other states' success with the law have recently gone viral online. Much like those debunked Instagram postings that supposedly protect you from having your images stolen by others, people who aren't very Internet savvy may believe that purple paint can protect them from defending their property in New York, even though that's not the case.

So, the next time you're alone in the woods and stumble across some purple paint marks, be sure to turn around and leave. Someone could be waiting in a deer stand to "teach you a lesson."

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