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 event highlighting the recommendations and providing residents with a chance to bring any questions or concerns to staff.
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
Public Comment: Supporting the Miller Creek Wild Horses
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 near this small band, and every day we see something different from what this summary implies. Families regularly come outside to watch them. Drivers pull over to take photos. People slow down simply to admire them. The horses are remarkably calm around humans, not aggressive, not causing property damage, and not creating the kind of public safety concerns this article seems to suggest. In all the years they’ve been here, we’ve seen no evidence of harm. If anything, they’ve brought people together.
Our family has learned to recognize individual horses and their roles within the band. They are a social group, not a random nuisance. They enrich the area and add beauty, not disorder.
Across the West, studies show that small, stable bands of wild horses can coexist safely with residential communities when left undisturbed. Research from the National Park Service and BLM case studies (e.g., Pryor Mountain, Assateague Island) shows that predictable herds with established territory rarely pose meaningful danger. In many cases, the primary risk comes not from the horses but from human feeding or harassment—neither of which seems to be occurring here on a significant scale.
Before discussing “management strategies,” I urge the County to:
• Use neutral language rather than language that frames the herd as a threat.
• Document actual incidents—if any—rather than assumed risks.
• Include the voices of residents who value the horses and see them as an asset.
• Reference the many examples across the U.S. where wild horses coexist safely with local communities.
If the horses have caused no harm—and many of us who live closest to them can verify they haven’t—then the wisest and most community-aligned option may be to let them remain as they are. They are a unique, cherished part of the Miller Creek area. Let’s not default to solutions that remove or restrict them when coexistence is already working.
Thank you for considering this viewpoint…………………………………………………………………….
Please sign this petition to help save the horses: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/preserve-the-freedom-of-feral-wild-horses-in-miller-creek?source=rawlink&utm_source=rawlink&share=1075ac3a-27bd-4cc7-84f9-8b475e245f7f
I do not want the Feral horses to be removed from Miller Creek. The horses thrive up there and they are not causing any harm to anyone. I have family who live in the area and enjoy seeing these animals living free. The horses look healthy. I see them often. It would be tragic if the animals were removed. I vote to leave them be.
Please leave them alone. Put up signs that warn people about the horses and that they are wild and not to touch them.
This is a tiny (6-8) band and an historic herd that most people wish to preserve. People absolutely love them. So listen to your constituents. This will be easy to handle. It is not an emergency. Their preservation needs an agency and the public needs to be educated. Maybe the horses could be herded up higher on the creek.
This cold be an opportunity for the Natural History Center to educate the public on being safe around the horses. They could make a kids book--by kids-- on the history of the herd or a documentary (with BSDFF) and interview some old timers, for example. Lets embrace these animals and our history with them and solve this as a community. It will be very easy if you include us all. Thank you!
The horses are a unique part of our neighborhood. Leave them as lone. Teach people to leave them alone like the other animals that roam Miller Creek
What your guys plan on doing with em
We live in a beautiful place where we are fortunate enough to see and interact with the wildlife in our area. I sit now typing this with squirrels, deer and raccoon out my window. Without this natural setting Missoula and Montana could be anywhere. Rather than look at this as a horse problem, treat the human problem. Educate people how to interact with their natural environment so both can thrive. Let these horses be!
What’s your guys plan to do with em
People need to leave wild not feral horses alone it's that simple.
Leave the horses be. They seem healthy and aren’t actually bothering anyone. They are near my house frequently and we love to see them. My kids keep their distance and they have never caused problems. Do something about the over populated deer first. They destroy plants, could spread disease, and are a nuisance in the streets, parks and yards. I have zero concerns about the horses.
I have lived in Lower Miller Creek for over 20 yrs. We look forward to each visit from the horses. They have been here long before all of the housing developments. I agree we need to have an agency that can be called when a horse gets hurt but I am strongly opposed to removing the horses. I have been told that there is a herd of over 100 horses between Missoula and the Bitterroot. Removing these horses doesn't make any sense and won't make a difference. What I see as the problem is people that have purchased homes in an area with wild life and don't learn how to live with the wild life. This is part of what makes Montana Montana and shouldn't be changed.
I believe that they should stay there they mind their business if people are stupid enough to try and touch them that’s on them and as far as being in the road people need to watch because deer roam the road too all the time. Those horses have been there for a very long time and it’s not fair to them if you take away their home when people have moved into theirs.
Let's manage people, not horses. I love living in Missoula because of rare natural treasures such as wild horses. Please use funds and energy for educating residents on how they can change their habits so the herd is less likely to become habituated or mingle with their livestock.
I work at a business located at 6995 Linda Vista Boulevard. The horses often are in our parking lot and near our property and although it is fascinating to be a Close and personal with them, they post a danger to traffic and pedestrians. In addition, self for all of our clients have said that the horses attempted to meet with their animals on private property.
Over 600 residents have signed a petition to leave these horses alone. Please do not start regulating this and destroy the beautiy and sanctuary these horses provide. Im against this and I hope you take our voice into consideration.
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/preserve-the-freedom-of-feral-wild-horses-in-miller-creek?source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawOKSRpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwzNTA2ODU1MzE3MjgAAR4jLwibHfrUFMMwcprkUsOT2_2j4tE_sUJo0sgxbqziU_tgQKHDLVN23EE-_Q_aem_yOuuuYxn4UC2re85saSK_w
I have lived in Upper Miller Creek for over a decade; the horses have been here the entire time I’ve been here, and clearly well before I ever moved here. Montana is about natural life and beauty, so who are we to decide what that beauty should be limited to? We don’t have to tell children not to try and pet raccoons, deer, or bears, so why is it that horses are any different? It’s a shame that some of us can’t seem to allow what existed long before we lived in the area to live as they did before, greedy as it may seem to preserve a little bit of the natural world in a city rife with development.
I have seen people walk up to the horses from behind and allow their children to literally yell and run up behind the horses and causes the horses to run but leaves a huge chance of the mares turning and confronting the threat. Especially with the colts right there. It’s reckless. And I have video and will willingly share it if needed. Multiple videos (not of any childs face but of the adults with them).
These horses belong to be there. That is their home and has been for a very long time. The only reason this is being brought up is because someone recently hit one. It’s like trying to rid of the deer because they are eating peoples flowers and are a danger from being hit all of the time. We should just let nature be. It’s a beautiful thing and a privilege to have such exquisite animals just roaming here freely for us to view. I would be so honored and amazed to just have a horse be roaming freely in my yard, not concerned. That is their home. Way before all of the new housing developments. They deserve to be there.
Removed by moderator.
Although I admire these animals, they do not belong here. Non native species that is taking away food from our native deer and elk populations. They also permanently destroy native plant live by ripping it out from the roots, native animals browse so it regrow every year, these horses don't. In addition, I've almost hit these horses many times iny 5 years living up Miller Creek. They are often in the field next to happy paws and all over the road (which is 45 mph). Stop waiting for a kid to get kicked and killed or a driver to get themselves killed for animals that do not belong here.