The initial version of this book arose out of a late-afternoon call from a rural county in Texas. Two landowners could not agree on a fencing question and called the county for help. The county judge called us, and after a few minutes of discussion regarding the question, we realized that Texas landowners need a field guide for fencing questions. We work with Texas landowners, and we get more questions about fencing than any other topic. And, while there are thousands of miles of barbed wire across the state, we lack an easy to-use resource to answer the everyday questions that arise between landowners. Another lengthy law book would not fit in the glovebox of a pickup, so we kept this short and easy-to-follow. It may not answer every question, but it should cover most. And, remember, the law will never substitute for an understanding between two neighbors over a cup of coffee.
This second edition includes updates and new material that arose out of wild fence law questions we receive regularly. The first edition was printed and used by tens of thousands of land owners, sheriffs, county officials, and real estate professionals. Lastly, manygroups who printed this book made donations to Texas 4-H and FFA foundations to support youth in agriculture.
—The Authors