Feral Horses in Miller Creek

The horses are a part of Missoula, why would we want to get rid of them? If people dont know to leave wild animals alone, why are they in Montana? As far as livestock, there are many ways to deter the horses and avoid relocation or culling. This is their home just as much as it is ours. So i say leave them!

Leave the wild horses alone they arent harming anyone. As a resident for my whole life here in the Missoula area they are peaceful animals. That out of towners / staters should just leave alone. These animals should be protected from the public.

The wild horses have survived for years. Humans should leave them alone to survive. They live with all the changes we create and have the right to live free. Please leave alone

It may not be clear "under state law" which agency has jurisdiction over these horses, but it is pretty clear under Federal law. In 1971, the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed, giving specific protections to "ALL unbranded and unclaimed horses and burros on public lands of the United States" and directing the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to protect and preserve them in their "historic range" (most wild horses are managed by the BLM today). Since the presence of the herd in question has been well-documented since the 50's, well before the Act was passed, and their range certainly includes some public lands, they clearly qualify for protection under it. Moreover, under federal law they are considered "wildlife", and it is just as unlawful for an unauthorized entity to "remove" them as it would be to remove an inconvenient herd of elk or bighorn sheep. In other words, leave the horses be. They were there first!

I want to thank the Missoula County Commissioners for addressing this issue responsibly and now. As a longtime Missoula resident, I care deeply about the health and safety of the Miller Creek horses. I have studied applicable federal and state laws, which on their face offer little or no protection for these horses except to the extent state law allows Montana counties to determine how feral horses can best be protected. I have been advocating the very approach proposed by the commissioners, namely putting together a group of experts to determine whether a viable management plan can be developed. Such a plan should first and foremost ensure that these horses are kept alive, healthy, and preferably together on suitable land where they can continue roaming with permanent food supplies. Although a number of Miller Creek and other Missoula residents advocate leaving the horses alone, I do not share this view unless the county's experts reach a consensus that leaving them alone is in the horses' best interests; or otherwise conclude that no plan is feasible.

Even if the county decides to do nothing for now, Montana law may well require the county to round them up and dispose of them anyway if enough affected landowners petition for this. As I read the roundup and other related statutes, the county may have some latitude in determining the nature of any such roundup, but it seems clear that the horses will lose out if a roundup occurs. For this reason I urge the commissioners to move as quickly as possible, in consultation with its appointed experts, to develop a proposed plan before any roundup petition is filed. Assuming it keeps the horses alive, healthy and together, I expect this kind of plan will get a near Missoula resident consensus.

Thanks for considering my views.

David Aronofsky

Missoula needs to address the urban deer problem as well. It is out of control.

Perhaps someone could round them up and herd them, or otherwise transport them back into the (more) uninhabited Miller creek area. At the very least, no not resort to a round up to sell/auction these animals. Auctions are rampant with abuse and cruelty.
Perhaps, signage and lower speed limits, a funnel to a gate system to safer crossing at more traveled roads or intersections. Think highway 93 north.

I am a horse owner and advocate. My focus is always on educating people about horses. This herd is not a wild horse band under government protection, which in some ways is good, but it also means no one takes responsibility for their care and welfare. We all know how difficult it is to get help for injured deer...these horses have no one when there is an injury or they find themselves in dangerous situations. These horses need an advocacy group backed by a team with knowledge of horses and the horses' well-being in mind. This group is not selfishly trying to remove the horses, but trying to protect them and give the public a place to learn more about horses. I definitely would like to be part of this advocacy group.

I've commented several times on NextDoor, but since this is now officially "an issue", I'll repeat myself.
My grandfather, Walt Peery, originally raised American Saddle Bred horses on a ranch that later became Reg Kessler's rodeo ranch. The feral horses were there then, but stayed well away from civilization. While Kessler's stock may have contributed to the herd, it didn't start it. My grandfather switched to registered black Angus after the depression. I still have posters selling off his horses at auction for next to nothing. I grew up riding horses in Miller Creek, Target Range, and South Hills. These horses have not been a problem until we, the people, moved upward into their grounds.
We have deer, elk, moose, coyotes and, mountain lions in the valley. No one seems to want to manage the hundreds of deer in Miller Creek. We've educated most of the population that they are NOT pets! The deer continue to walk in front of cars, through fences, and challenge pets and people at times. They are WILDLIFE. Eliminate some of them and fill empty freezers. Helena has had a successful program for years. Maybe spend some of that park and sidewalk money on a plan. There was a deer with a mangled leg that was laying in a yard in Lower MC. F, W, & P basically said to call them when he is actively dying. I haven't asked for an update.
I had to laugh at the writer that said she's not buying a house in Miller Creek because of the feral horses. What a blessing!
Think this through, people. Why do you live here?

Commissioners,

Thank you for considering public input on the feral horses in Missoula County. I’m asking the County to take practical steps that improve both animal welfare and public safety.

Right now, there is no clear agency responsible for responding when these horses are injured, involved in traffic incidents, or pushed into residential areas. This gap leaves animals suffering longer than necessary and leaves the public unsure who to call in an emergency.

I am requesting three actions:
1. Adopt ordinances that prohibit feeding, petting, or watering the horses, since human interaction draws them into dangerous situations.
2. Designate a county agency with authority to respond to emergencies involving these horses, including injury, illness, or safety concerns.
3. Support a volunteer community group to help with education, school outreach, and non-harmful methods of moving horses out of neighborhoods, as well as assisting with placement if any animals need rehoming.

Every other animal population in Montana has an established management path. These horses deserve the same level of responsible oversight. Simply “leaving them alone” is not a functional management plan.

We love the wild horses! It is such a magical part of our living experience in Missoula and in the Miller Creek area. Please protect these beautiful animals!

This seems to be a very real concern both for the horses and the community. It is very reasonable to establish an agency that can oversee the horses when there are any emergencies that arise and work to educate the public in safe interactions with the horses. Signage would be helpful too so that people are aware that of the various wildlife that wanders close to, or on the roadways, wild horses are among them. I hope for a sensible solution that allows for the wild horses’ health and safety, public education around interacting with them, and proper agency oversight that can assist in emergencies that arise.

Post more signs to look out for them and leave them alone! I'd much rather have "feral" horses roaming about than homeless transients!

Wild, or domesticated, we should always be aware and cautious around animals, especially large animals. Education and signs could be helpful. I love seeing the wild horses. They are so unique and enjoyable to watch. Please leave them up there!

Hello. I am the executive director of The Science and Conservation Center located in Billings. We produce a fertility control vaccine called ZonaStat-H. This vaccine is used by the BLM along with NGOs to contracept wild horses. Please contact us with any questions, we would like to help.
www.sccpzp.org

I’d like to offer a different perspective on the Miller Creek horses, and in doing so I want to point out that the language used in this article feels unnecessarily negative and biased. Referring to these animals exclusively as “feral horses” frames them as a problem before any balanced discussion even begins. Words matter. Many residents—including my family—view them as wild horses, part of the natural landscape and part of our community’s identity.

We live close to this herd and observe them regularly. The horses are calm, predictable, and nonaggressive. They have caused no harm to residents or livestock. Instead, they bring beauty, curiosity, and community connection. It is common to see families walk outside to watch them, and drivers stop simply to admire them.

Scientific Evidence on Risk & Coexistence

Ecological and behavioral research overwhelmingly supports the safe coexistence of small wild horse bands with residential communities:

NPS Assateague Island Study (2020) – Found that free-roaming horses living around thousands of visitors annually generated minimal safety incidents, with almost all issues linked to human feeding, not natural horse behavior.

Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Plan (BLM/NPS, 2015) – Over decades of monitoring, stable bands showed no significant increases in aggression, property damage, or disease transmission.

USGS Fort Collins Science Center (Turner et al., 2017) – Small, territorial wild horse bands become highly predictable and low-risk when left undisturbed.

Canadian Wildlife Service Report (Berman, 2019) – Found that wild horses at the urban–wildland boundary often increase ecological diversity and pose minimal direct conflict with residents.

Journal of Wildlife Management (Scasta et al., 2018) – Concluded that horses are not common or efficient disease vectors for livestock, contrary to popular fear.

Across these studies, the same pattern appears: harm from small wild horse groups is far more imagined than real.

Psychology Matters: Authoritarian Impulses in Wildlife Management

There is a well-documented human tendency—across psychology, sociology, and public policy research—to default to authoritarian decision-making when something falls outside our control. When people perceive uncertainty, they often respond by asserting power rather than gathering evidence.
Psychologists call this the “control heuristic”—when faced with ambiguity, people choose the option that looks the most decisive, not the one that is most supported by facts.

A relevant example:
In 2014, several Western municipalities proposed eliminating or relocating wild geese from local parks despite no documented safety incidents. The motivation wasn’t actual harm—it was discomfort with unpredictability. Public review later found the policy was driven by a desire to “show control” rather than by evidence. After pushback, most of these communities chose non-intervention, and coexistence continues without incident.

The same dynamic can easily unfold here:
When wildlife lives near homes, people often feel compelled to “manage,” “contain,” or “control,” even when the animals are peaceful and causing no measurable problem. It’s important to recognize this psychological pattern so the County does not mistake an impulse for power as a need for intervention.

Local Observations Should Matter Too

My family identifies individual horses in this band—the leaders, the younger ones, their dynamics. These are not anonymous creatures wandering unpredictably—they are a stable group that occupies a known territory and interacts quietly with the community.

Human Value Is Part of the Ecological Equation

BLM’s National Wild Horse & Burro Program (2013–2022) reports that over 80% of Americans view wild horses as culturally important, not as hazards. In Miller Creek, this is evident in how residents respond with delight, not fear.

Evidence-Based Recommendation

If the horses have caused no documented harm, and if research strongly supports that small, stable wild horse groups pose minimal risk, the most rational and least disruptive option is to leave the herd in place. Encourage residents not to feed them, provide education if needed, and continue monitoring.
But intervention—especially removal—should not be driven by an instinct to assert authority or appear “in control.” It should be based solely on facts.

Right now, the facts support coexistence.

Let’s not allow fear, bias, or an authoritarian impulse to overshadow what is actually happening here: a peaceful, beloved group of wild horses enriching our community. Side note: Someone keeps removing my comments and I just keep reposting!

I have lived in the Miller Creek for 25 years. Never has this been an issue until some un happy people thought that it was there duty to remove this small family from there home. This is so sad. We barely see them, you gave to stop and look for them. I hope they leave them alone.

I tried to get these horses to a safe place a year ago they constantly tell all of us no these horses are friendly and loving if they are gonna be removed make sure they go into the right hands of people who genuinely want to help them!

Hello,
I've lived in Missoula well over 30 years, and I am a horse owner. I ridden horses in the area this feral horse herd occupies. I have been looking for a new home in Missoula, but won't buy in Miller Creek because of the feral horse herd. I don't want a feral stallion tearing down my fence to get to my mare. I don't want my horses getting their diseases. And I certainly don't want one running in front of my car at night and killing me.

Most of the people who want the horses left as they are are not horse people. They do not understand how very dangerous even tame horses are. They do not understand that they endanger themselves by being too close to the horses, and they endanger the horses by feeding them. There is a great deal to know about how to be safe with and around horses, and most of the residents of Miller Creek do not have that knowlege. I am basing this off of the public comments I have seen on social media. The ignorance is astonishing.

I don't know what the law allows, but I would encourage your committee to pursue what I view as the best option: remove all horses that are spending time in densely populated areas of Miller Creek. Vet and rehome those horses to people who have been screened to be certain they are knowledgeable and have the skills to handle and gentle feral horses.

As for those feral horses still living further south, enact laws to forbid the feeding of feral horses, and to establish that they cannot be approached any closer than x number of yards. I would also set up a program to vaccinate the feral mares with birth control, using a gun, as is done to control deer populations in some jurisdisctions. Then hopefully this herd will die out.

I write this as a lover of horses and of wildlife--and of people. The current situation is beyond unsafe--it is treacherous.

Interferes with fast drivers? I expect as it's Montana you will want to kill them because its your first option always. Leave them alone!