DURANGO, Colo.—A southwest Colorado man has pleaded guilty to putting out bait to attract Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife says 52-year-old David Hall of La Plata County pleaded guilty in May to one count of baiting, a misdemeanor. He was fined $156, placed on probation for a year and had his hunting privileges suspended for one year.
Authorities say Hall spread salt over the last two years near Vallecito Reservoir northeast of Durango to attract bighorn sheep.
Division officials say salt is a major attraction for big game animals and has resulted in an unusually high number of bighorns in a small area. They say animals bunched together can more easily pass diseases and parasites to each other.

![20151207__denverpost~p1.jpg [prison 19] Caption: This is Cellhouse 1, Pod A, from ground level inside the Sterling Correctional Facility which is located outside of Sterling, Colorado Thursday afternoon. Photographer: LEW SHERMAN Title: FREELANCE Credit: SPECIAL TO THE POST City: Sterling State: CO Country: USA Date: 19990617 ObjectName: prison 19 Keyword: PUBDATE____1999_06_22](/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20151207__denverpostp1.jpg?w=538)

