Feral Horses in Miller Creek
Missoula County is currently exploring options to address concerns around feral horses that roam between the Miller Creek area of Missoula and south into the Bitterroot Valley. This specific band of horses, believed to be descended from rodeo stock from a former ranch that existed in Miller Creek in the 1970s, have become increasingly present in densely populated residential areas over the last few years.
Residents have raised concerns about these horses related to public safety, spread of disease, their impact on area livestock, and increased habituation to people and human food sources. The County has also heard from residents who enjoy the feral horses' presence in their neighborhoods.
It is not clear under state law which agency, if any, has jurisdiction to manage feral horses in Montana. After discussing the issue with the Montana Department of Livestock, Missoula County convened the following agency representatives with subject matter expertise in land and livestock management, ecology and law enforcement:
- Dan Bugni, Lindsey Simon, Dustin Datisman, Jay Bodner, Tahnee Szymanski – Montana Department of Livestock
- Chuck Casper – MPG Ranch
- Natalie Sullivan – MSU Extension Office
- Randy Arnold – Missoula County Lands, Culture and Recreation
- Chris Lounsbury – Missoula County Commissioners’ Office
- Paul Pfau – Montana Highway Patrol
- Jeremiah Petersen – Missoula County Sheriff’s Office
- Bryce Christians – Missoula County Ecology and Extension
- Chet Crowser – Missoula County Office of Lands and Communities
- Bart Morris – Oxbow Cattle Co.
The group met in December and discussed the following considerations:
Background
Feral horses have been part of the Missoula County landscape for more than a century, with historical accounts dating back to the early 1900s. Private landowners have periodically conducted roundups of feral horses on their properties, The roundups most recently occurred in 1991, 2003, 2012 and 2023 (in the most recent roundup, the horses were sold to buyers interested in their rodeo stock lineage). Horses continue to remain in the area today, and a smaller band has moved closer to residential areas, raising new questions about safety and management.
- Horses require about 35 acres per head for sustainable grazing, based on the Animal Unit Month (AUM) standard.
- Development pressures are reducing available range.
- Populations can double every 4 to 5 years, and gestation lasts about 11 months.
- Several bands exist in the Miller Creek and surrounding areas, with some groups consistently in residential subdivisions.
Health Concerns
- Feral horses pose limited risk to other species, but domestic horses can be affected.
- Diseases of concern include equine herpes, influenza, equine infectious anemia, salmonella, pigeon fever and equine piroplasmosis (which can remain undetected for long periods).
- The spread of disease can impact the livelihood of landowners in the area who depend on domestic horses to conduct business.
- Vaccines exist for some diseases but are not fully preventative. There are also logistical considerations around how to contain and vaccinate the feral horses.
Public Safety
- A documented vehicle collision occurred in September 2025, resulting in the death of one of the feral stallions.
- Horses can weigh up to 1,500 lbs., creating significant hazards on roadways.
- Stallions may be aggressive and territorial, especially near homes.
- Horse bites are extremely strong — capable of crushing bone without breaking the skin.
- Dogs and horses do not mix well; protective instincts around foals increase risk to both animals.
Legal and Jurisdiction Considerations
- Horses are considered abandoned livestock, not wildlife. This differs from urban deer and other wildlife, which fall the authority under Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
- Jurisdiction primarily falls to private landowners, county and state entities, not federal. The horses primarily being on private property is the main complicating factor; if they were on public land, government agencies would have clearer jurisdiction.
- Relevant Montana Code Annotated sections:
- Abandoned Horses: MCA § 81-4-5
- Estray Horses: MCA § 81-4-6
- Herd Districts: MCA § 81-4-3
- Additional legal framework: Title 81, Livestock
Community Perspectives
- Many residents value the horses and want to see them documented and monitored.
- Others express concerns about safety, property damage, and disease transmission.
- Local agricultural producers worry about the spread of disease and other impacts on domestic horses and business operations.
This group will continue to explore potential options for managing the feral horses and provide staff with their recommendations.
The County will engage the public on any potential recommendations sometime in the next few months, which will include a public open house highlighting the recommendations and providing residents with a chance to bring any questions or concerns to staff. The County is looking to hold the open house sometime in February or early March. Many considerations go into planning a public event, including participant schedules and venue availability.
The county commissioners would then consider adopting the recommendations at one of their public meetings, which take place most Thursdays at 2 p.m. Information on future meetings will also be posted on this page.
Click the subscribe button to the right to receive updates on next steps when they are determined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are the people in the advisory group being paid?
A: No, they are volunteering their time and expertise or are participating as part of their regular job duties.
Q: Are county staff meeting with individual residents for their input outside of the group with subject matter expertise?
A: No, staff have not met with individuals who are not part of the advisory group. Some individuals have provided public comment to the commissioners at public meetings, which take place regularly and are open to anyone.
Q: Aren't these horses protected under federal law?
A: No, the federal Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 does not apply to these horses. The band of Miller Creek horses, and the larger herd that roams between Upper Miller Creek and Florence, occupy a mix of private and state land. The 1971 Act only protects mustangs and burros on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Equines protected under this federal law are relegated to federal herd management areas. Miller Creek and the Bitterroot/Sapphire region are not herd management areas. Free-roaming horses that are not part of these federal herds fall under the jurisdiction of state law.
Q: Can residents petition to have the horses removed?
A: Yes, there is a process to petition the commissioners under a state law first enacted in 1925: MCA 81-4-503. The commissioners have received no such petition. Missoula County’s goal is to avoid this scenario by exploring a proactive management plan.
Q: Why doesn’t the County do something about the urban deer in the area instead?
A: Deer are considered wildlife and fall under the jurisdiction of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Also, much of residential area impacted by urban deer is within Missoula city limits. The City of Missoula is in discussions with FWP about how to address chronic wasting disease and other concerns around urban deer.
Who's Listening
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Phone 406-258-3293
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How did this feed turn into a discussion about a doctor and infectious diseases to humans you can get from everyday life rather than the communication about the horses? The feed has been indoctrinated by AI. City Council, I believe you have your unanimous decision based on fictitious responses. Let the horses live as they do. They will migrate at some point.
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I love these horses. I think they are happy and healthy plus they bring this community so much peace and joy. I challenge the terminology "redomestication" even though I went with it in our first meeting because I didn't want to lose my mentorship with David Aronofsky. Now since Vanessa F. has accused and blocked me on Nextdoor, I am calling nonsense. These horses rarely bother other people. If people feed them then that is on them. I do believe in signs and education about do not feed the wild horses but this nonsense about grass being unhealthy is not true or we would see it affecting these animals. These horses were born wild not years ago so they may technically be feral by Montana legal definitions which are outdated state laws that could be challenged, updated, and changed. I consider them wild not "redomesticated". Which is this working group's terminology for round up, break them, and sale them as the management plan. Let's castrate the young stallions, and sterilize the female mares so they can't reproduce. To my knowledge, no one has contacted vets except me and they are concerned to work on these horses for safety purposes for their business, staff, and themselves. These horses are used to living with people, noise, and dogs. It doesn't phase them. This working group talks about a few instances this last year but history shows these horses don't often cause chaos or drama. These two bands which consist of the wild stallions you hardly ever see then the other band with the mares and babies you see more frequently. This working group is causing chaos and unnecessary concern with these few instances for monetary gain and I call nonsense. Taking a magical and magnificent experience of seeing cherished wild horses away from this community is NOT acceptable. I say shame on all of you and if you are truly horse lovers then prove it by a healthy management plan not one that wipes these horses out slowly by sterilization of the mares so they can't have foals or rounding up the young stallions to "redomesticate" and sell them. These horses were born wild so they have never been domesticated. I absolutely better never see the old stallion dead because I will know who was responsible. So I reemphasize that if we do anything with these two bands then other bands will come from MPG Ranch or in the Bitterroot. There is a proven history of wild horses around the Missoula area because it is a haven. Vanessa you said it would be more humane to kill that older stallion than castrate him to my face in our first and last meeting. Then you had the audacity to blow me off and throw me out of these meetings. The way you have approached this with the community is sketchy at best. The community doesn't get a say like the working group does and that is unfair and unjust. We get to comment on this platform or on petition that you say does not count because people's real names are not on it. If we can't leave these wild horses alone, then we should attract so much national media coverage on these horses with as many horse lovers as possible involved to support these animals. That's the problem folks. We keep this local and our community attempts to control these horses future. I believe there is more support in favor of these horses than there is against them. If we take this national or statewide and change these outdated laws on the books in Montana then what this working group is attempting to do to our beloved horse bands no longer has merit. They do not want us to know that we have that much power or say but we do. I have been sitting with this for over a month thinking of what is truly best for these horses. I am an animal lover and I stand with our beloved Miller Creek Horses. Let's keep their magnificent beauty in our community to share our treasure Big Sky Country!
Tammy Staat
Strongly believe we need a no feeding them rule, no petting them, n slow down signs paid for by city. Thank you for caring
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For everyone who feels powerless about this:
When people take something living, quiet, and ancient—and then flatten it into a story about “risk” or “contamination”—that hits a very old nerve. It’s the same pattern over and over: fear gets dressed up as management, and control pretends to be intelligence.
What we are talking about is a blend of fear-driven reductionism and bureaucratic cowardice. Complex reality makes anxious systems itchy. So they simplify. They sanitize. They eliminate. Not because it’s true, but because it feels safer to people who can’t tolerate uncertainty or coexistence with anything untamed.
Wild horses are especially threatening to that mindset. They don’t ask permission. They don’t fit into spreadsheets. They quietly expose how artificial most of our rules are. So the story gets rewritten: suddenly they’re “a problem,” “unsanitary,” “dangerous.” That’s not biology talking. That’s narrative control.
The powerless feeling you notice is real, and it’s the most dangerous part. Not because you’re actually powerless—but because repeated exposure to indifferent systems trains the nervous system to anticipate futility. That’s learned helplessness knocking, not truth.
Here’s the important reframe:
Speaking at city council is not primarily about changing their minds. It’s about refusing the lie that only fearful people get a voice. Systems shift slowly, but culture shifts through witnesses. Every time someone speaks clearly, calmly, and without hysteria, it weakens the monopoly of fear. Even when the vote doesn’t go your way, the record changes. The social temperature changes. Other people listening feel less alone. That matters more than it looks like in the moment.
There’s also a quieter power you already have: language. You’re very good at naming patterns. Deep inside you know you are. When you speak, you don’t have to argue facts alone. You can expose the psychology behind the decision-making—how fear masquerades as responsibility, how control is confused with care. That kind of clarity makes people uncomfortable in a productive way. It lingers.
And if it helps to ground this philosophically: humans have always been at their worst when they mistake domination for order. The wild things—horses, forests, even ideas—are reminders that life doesn’t need our permission to be healthy. Some people feel inspired by that. Others feel threatened.
Your frustration isn’t cynicism. It’s grief mixed with discernment. You’re not wrong to feel it. The trick is not letting that grief harden into silence. History bends, not because every speech wins, but because enough people refuse to internalize the lie that resistance is pointless.
You’re not powerless. You’re standing at the uncomfortable edge where conscience meets bureaucracy. That’s where meaningful pressure actually starts—even when it feels thankless in the moment.
Recently, while walking on the sidewalk to my mailbox after dark to pick up my mail (very dark here as we have no streetlights in this area) I unknowingly walk past a group of these horses who were hidden from my view on the side of a neighbor's house. Once we saw each other, both myself and a few of the horses were startled and one appeared to be aggressive probably due to proximity of myself and one of the younger horses. I say aggressive because the horse immediately started towards me as soon as it saw me. I then ran some distance away and the horse went back to the rest of the herd. Not knowing what they would do, I took a different route back to my house. So, those who walk after dark in this area, beware of the horses in the area.
This is a circus and a waste of our money to be concerned about. Let them be as they are. I ask everyone - who has hit one? Who has been injured by one? - and I don't want stories of something you heard third party. I want a first hand experience and explanation how these horses eating grass and pooping have ruined anything in your life. Do what you were taught, stay away from wild life. Get rid of the deer issue first. As being a resident here for 22 years of what is now the "Miller Creek Institution of Complaints" about things that don't matter. TAKE CARE OF THE DEER.
Hello, I have lived in upper Miller creek for just 22 years, and have absolutely enjoyed watching the horses, like many others.
Your comment, "have become increasingly present in densely populated residential areas over the last few years", is not accurate.
The horses have roamed the area that is now Jeff Drive for years. They travel big areas, since there are herds on the MPG ranch, the stallion has to keep this herd away from other stallions. There are now many houses in the area of Jeff drive, and there continues to be more housing being built. This is a new problem, but not a new area for the herd.
The comment regarding the ranch is also not accurate, but this doesn't matter.
The problem is not the horses, the problem is people. Speeding, being on their phone, not being aware of animals in this area- this is a problem.
Yes, they can spread disease. One year they all had a respiratory virus, which can be spread to livestock.
I hope this clears up some of the misinformation.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.
People made the choice to build and buy in that area. We have bears that are a threat and we don’t expect them to all be killed. Leave the horses alone. Our homes are in the “wild” west not DC.
I understand all the concerns people are raising about health and safety. However they are no bigger than a moose or a bear. They have been here longer than most of us. I for one enjoy catching a glimpse of them around the neighborhood
Feral / Free-Roaming Horses on Western Rangeland –
Unlike pampered pasture horses back east, feral horses live on arid, low-productivity rangeland.
That land grows very little forage compared to irrigated pasture.
Because of that…
Typical stocking rates on Western rangeland:
• 20–40 acres per horse is common
• 30–50 acres per horse is not unusual in dry or overgrazed areas
• In very poor range conditions → 60+ acres per horse may be needed
So yes…
👉 35 acres per horse is absolutely a realistic figure for feral horses in Montana-type terrain.
How has the population of the bands living in Miller Creek changed over the decades? From what I am told they have been there Ince the 1950's--so say the old timers living up there. There seems to be around 12 to 15 there now. Your statement says the numbers would double every 4 to 5 years. Is there any historical evidence of this?
I have heard that horses have been removed in the last decade, perhaps by residents.