Feral Horses in Miller Creek

The horses should be left to roam. They have a huge history there. Place signs for people to recognize them it would take nothing to do so. Why take away another part of Missoula natural history?

I recognize that horses are pretty and people enjoy seeing them. I am also familiar with the major ecological problems that uncontrolled and unmanaged feral horses continue to cause across the West. We don’t want to wait until we reach a tipping point in Missoula County. Feral horses have no natural predators and, if left unchecked, are harmful to native vegetation, native wildlife, and water quality. If their numbers are allowed to continue to escalate in the Miller Creek area, they will become a bigger problem that is even more difficult to address at a later date. I would be fine with removing them entirely, but I doubt that is politically attainable. I encourage you to work with the public and appropriate state and federal agencies to create and implement a management plan to reduce feral horse numbers to appropriate levels and to manage populations at that level. It’d allow local area residents to continue to enjoy seeing them, while keeping their numbers in line with what natural habitats can support. Thanks for your consideration and for your service on behalf of Missoula County.

I hope that the horses are left alone and allowed to wonder like they have since the 1970's. We have more of deer problem then a horse problem. It gives many people great joy to see them. Like any wild animal they should not be approached or fed. The man who totaled his truck hitting the gray horse on Upper Miller Creek had to be driving more than the posted speed limit of 35. Educate your kids on admiring from a distance and hopefully we can continue to enjoy them trotting through the neighborhood.

Please leave the horses alone
They are beautiful and majestic and belong in their native area
Not sure why the sudden up roar
We should be focused on the unhealthy deer in our neighborhood

I think that the feral horses up Miller Creek should be allowed to stay, and I think a concerted effort should be made to educate the public about their presence both through signage and public meetings. It wouldn't hurt to lower the speed on Upper and Lower Miller Creek roads to 30mph given the incredibly increased growth in this area.

Two opinions here:
1-Montana should be left alone. To be the “last best place,” it has to be left alone. People need to be educated that we are not going to change it to fit their needs/wants. The transplants need to change not Montana. Leave the wildlife along and assign someone to assist with the feral horses.

2-Second opinion-Since we have leaders that are dead set on destroying “the last best place” with their overactive money hungry appetites, all that is and was that made Montana a state that others longed to visit will be but a memory. If our towns become cities, we will no longer be special. We will be like everyone else. If that’s the direction we are going then round them up and take them to glue factory. You don’t care anyway.

I live in upper Miller Creek and thoroughly enjoy seeing the horses come through the neighborhood. We never approach them, always give them plenty of space, and do not feed or water them. We understand they are feral animals. If someone has been injured by one of these majestic animals, it is sure due to human ignorance. Yes, having a heard of horses clomp through your yard can do some damage, but it's typically minimal and easily repaired. The tons of deer that run through here leave more waste, do more damage to flower beds and gardens than the horses do. We've watched several colts be born into 2-3 herds of horses, observed them napping on our lawn, visiting tamed horses at the corral - They are beautiful! If anything were to be done, perhaps a well equipped and well trained person could somehow separate the colts from the herd and tame/train them for work or riding .....otherwise LEAVE THEM ALONE! They were here before any of these houses or people. If you want a perfectly manicured lawn and zero wildlife - move to a condo by the mall.

I’d like to see them left alone sure push them back out of your yard. Don’t feed her water them. They aren’t pets. Watch them from the Ridgeline and enjoy them like you would any other wildlife in Montana be respectful of them. So that we may enjoy them in the future. Keep your children a safe distance away as with any wildlife that your responsibility same with your dogs or any other pet. Drive slower so that you don’t encounter an accident with one and that goes for deer or elk or any other wildlife roaming in the area. It’s for your safety as well as theirs that I say that! You move to a state where we enjoy nature of all kinds, whether it be wildlife or land, nature hikes, or just looking at the mountains, sometimes taking a drive in them! It does seem like those new people that are moving here are hell-bent on destroying everything that is good about our area. They just want to develop and grow so that their greed gets fed. They have increased all that is bad in our area from traffic to housing cost to rent pricing application fees so much… But if only the mayor would actually protect the citizens of Missoula, maybe none of this would be even a question or a problem.

We love seeing the horses. They roam quietly through the neighborhoods.

The over population of deer cause a far greater community safety risk than a few horses in Miller Creek. The deer population has exploded over the past 30 years such that mountain lions are actively hunting in Missoula neighborhoods. Anyway, I do support having a volunteer horse management group in the community to fundraise for veterinary care, including neutering mares, and any other 'horse issues' that may arise. I do not support using city funds for their management.

Think the horses should be left alone and the speed on Miller Creek should be better managed. Perhaps community outreach -schools? to educate students proper behavior in proximity to the horses.

First, I appreciate the commissioners being willing to hear this conversation. I’m hopeful that a better & safer situation ( for humans, domestic animals, and the horses) can be reached. The current situation seems unsafe for most citizens, and too risky for motorists, property owners, domestic animals, and the feral horses.

I agree that there needs to be dialogue regarding the feral herd.
These animals have been here long before increased homes were developed in the area. Once again, animals lose out to humans. These animals are beautiful, look healthy and are enjoyed by many residents. I would like an explanation of what is meant by the horses “ spreading disease”.
I don’t feel residents should feed them or approach them, for both the horses and public’s safety. The other concern is managing growth and inbreeding of the herd.
I hope that the options presented are what is best for the horses and not just to pacify a small group of residents that don’t like their presence.
Thank you for allowing resident’s comments before making a decision regarding the feral horses.

This has become an unsafe situation just like the deer, it's that simple.

Leave the horses alone. They are hurting no one and deserve to be free as they have been for 50+ years. Quit building up further and further in Miller Creek! There are only 8 or 10 of them the people that are complaining the Posse of 5 started by Vanessa and Erin are the minority. They may be well intentioned but, if the city gets involved it will end badly for the horses.

The deer in Miller creek are much more destructive than a few feral horses. Leave the horses alone.

The people who own horses and livestock in the neighborhood should be the voices that you all listen to, not people who look at the horses from their kitchen window. I want to hear what experts have to say. I don’t personally have any negative experiences with the horses, but they are moving further and further into the neighborhoods and I wonder if that will continue. In the end, everyone wants what is best for the horses.

We have lived in Miller Creek for 47 years. We have seen the horses from a distance for that long above the house on the open ridges. When hunting in the Woodchuck area and Davis Creek area we would see them also. They didn’t show up on our property until January 2021. We thought it was great but soon realized it was going to be a lot of shoveling so we discouraged them from the yard. It didn’t take long for them to avoid our property. Other neighbors must have did the same because they moved back up to higher ground.

There are several small herds between Missoula and Eight Mile. They are not all escapees from the Kesler's rodeo stock. They tend to stay up in the mountains, but I am guessing that mountain lions, wolves or drought have made some of them come to greener pastures. If residents feed them and give them water and encouragement, they don’t have any reason to go back home. Letting them eat in your yard is the same as feeding them. They will get the hint and go to the open hillsides to eat if they can’t graze in yards.

Feeding deer is illegal in Montana because it can lead to negative health and safety consequences for both the animals and people. It causes artificial concentrations of deer that can increase the spread of diseases, make them more vulnerable to predators, and lead to more vehicle collisions. Additionally, it can create dependency on artificial food sources, cause property damage, and disrupt natural behaviors. They have found deer starved to death with stomachs full of hay which they can’t digest. We have wild turkeys in our area. They stayed up in the mountains to the south of us when we moved out here, but they got fed by a neighbor a while back and now in the spring they are in our yard and other neighbors’ yards. They are very messy! Why not give the same consideration to the horses as the deer. If horses eat too much green grass in the spring it can cause them to founder or get colic.

Please don’t remove them instead put up signs and pass regulations regarding feeding etc.

We enjoy seeing them and look for them when we go to town. Friends from out of town enjoy seeing them. Sharing pictures of them with the grandchildren, friends and neighbors is a great experience.

We live on Rodeo Rd. The horses have only been in our neighborhood for the last 5 years or so. Until then they were occssionally seen along the ridge line, but not in the neighborhoods. Most of the neighbors enjoy the horses. A few people have added fencing so the horses don’t get into portions of their yards or to protect their flowers from the horses, but that’s a good compromise.

My husband and I enjoy the horses, deer, and occassional squirrel or fox. We moved out here for the joy of the natural world around us. Yes, we’ve had to replace a sprinkler head and I've scooped poop several times, but those are minor inconveniences. What we don't appreciate is the person(s) walking down the road throwing rocks at the horses. The rocks end up in our yards. Rocks in the yard- thrown from the lawn mower!?! Now that is dangerous! The horses aren't dangerous. Just treat the big beasts with respect and enjoy their beauty. Don't try to chase them away.

The horses don’t suddenly jump out into the road like deer do.

My husband says, “To the out of state person, they come to Montana thinking of open ranges, deer, elk, and other wildlife. That’s Montana! … We love it! … Land developers, you’re killing Montana!”

I understand the people who want the horses left alone, but that doesn't solve the issue of who is responsible for sick or injured horses. From what I read, there are some ranchers and homeowners who are concerned about the feral horses spreading disease and getting injured, and not having someone to call without footing a vet bill themselves. Just leaving them alone won't help that problem. How about a non-profit group forming, collecting funds, then getting all the horses vaccinated and maybe neutered, and taking care of any future issues with the horses. There needs to be someone to call when a problem arises.