I grew up in The South too, and one of the first things kids old enough to wander learned was: Do NOT Ever Cross a Fence!
If your parents neglected to teach you that little lesson, you'd get your schooling via a rump full of buckshot.
I see the wisdom in that today, but you don't know how sad that sounds to me. When I was young, we wandered anywhere we wanted (don't know if we would have gone to industrial sites, etc.,). We could even ride our horses anywhere we wanted if we could get through a gate - the only rule was never cut a fence or 'ride' a fence. I remember getting on a horse with friends and riding across the county through people's property. Of course, we were taught to respect the property of others - but times and people have changed and not for the better in so many ways.