[MtnClimber]

Mess with the sheep, you get the big horns.

When I first moved to Colorado I did a solo ascent of Mt Evans in springtime (winter conditions). It was ice axe and crampons ice climbing. A steep ascent, but I did come down the normal hiking route. When I got back to my car, as I took off my backpack and other gear I spotted a group of juvenile bighorn sheep. I got my camera out of my backpack and rolled down my window. I waited really still as they got closer and closer. And one of them stuck his head in through my open window and was sniffing and looking around, I guess to see if I had something to feed him. I am guessing tourists feed them. All I was thinking is that if he catches his horns inside my car and panics....how would I explain it to my insurance company. I snapped this picture as he seemed disappointed that I did not have food for him.

[CedarDave]

More than being fed, they are looking for salt. Many years ago a group of us hiking in the mountains east of Santa Fe and stopping for lunch were approached by a small number of young female big horns. If you had a sweaty sweatshirt off for drying in the sun, or a sweaty daypack off they would taste then try to chew it for the salt. If offered something salty, they would take it. They didn’t intimidate us but scared my black lab who cowered in fear.