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.
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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
As a miller creek resident who sees these horses daily for years there is no need to relocate them. There is however the need to deem them legally as wildlife so that if something happens there is someone (FWP or Animal Control) to deal with any issues. Just like the other wildlife, leave it alone and they leave you alone. Maybe some signs posting to warn new people that there are wild horses and they shouldn’t be fed or approached (just like the bears).
I actually think that this is a waste of time and money. There are far more pressing issues than this one to tackle. I love seeing these horses, and I give them a healthy amount of space for my safety and their safety. Others need to do the same. Whenever I see them, they brighten my day. Please work on more pressing issues such as road construction, taxes, and true public safety issues.
This area is what these horses have always known. They're healthy and happy. Houses shouldn't have taken over. Maybe secure some land near where they can freely go where no one can build. Doesn't MCPS own some land over there that's empty? Leave these poor creatures alone. Put street signs to warn driver's. They need to drive slow for residents and children, why not horses too? We love the horses!
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Sterilize them and leave them be.
I feel a management plan is important- as the herd grows. Education to the public is vital.
My question is how a county plan will work with the current state law on abandoned horses/property (this was published in the Missoulian awhile ago)?. A plan that is able to remain consistent in its approach is so important as this herd grows.
Leave them alone! They are less of a hazard than deer and elk!
Leave them alone. They will wonder back to the mountains by next year when more food is available. It was a dry year.
My husband and I moved from Missoula city to Lower Miller Creek in June of this year. We see the horses pretty often, and the only way I can describe these interactions is absolute delight. They come through our yard often, and we see them around the neighborhood. They were here long before most people in this area and should have the right to stay. We truly love to see them, and we have been able to share them with local and out-of-state/country visitors alike. Everyone who has gotten to witness them is so excited and amazed that there is still a place where wild horses roam among us. It’s so Montana. If the horses didn’t want to be in the area, they would leave. They should 100% get to stay.
These horses have never affected anybody or livestock that I’ve seen or heard. All they do is roam around and eat grass and plants. I don’t understand what the big bother is. If anything, it’s the people trying to go and touch them, that’s the problem leave them alone. They are completely fine.
I am a resident that lives at the end of Trails End Road. I am also I lifelong horsewoman and own horses myself. My interest in the horses is about wanting what is best for them and their future. The feral horse issue in Miller Creek is much more complicated than "get rid of them" or "don't get rid of them". They are there and they will likely be a part of the landscape for the foreseeable future. There have been many problematic incidents involving the horses that upset me including vehicle collisions, people being injured by approaching them and feeding them, injured or trapped foals being orphaned by their band, foal predation, and diseases transmitted to domestic stock. I would like to see the County Commissioners act in the following way:
1. Establish common sense ordinances that make it unlawful to feed, water, or pet the feral horses and implement hefty fines for offenses.
2. Establish a community group to help with constructing a management plan, providing education to citizens, and making decisions and taking action when problems arise.
3. Provide signage on Miller Creek Road, Trails End Road and other major roadways in the area warning people to slow down and maintain a safe distance from the horses.
4. Assign a dedicated arm of county employees (i.e. Animal Control, County Sheriff, etc.) and grant them authority to respond to incidents and make decisions that weigh the best interests of the horses and the community.
I support the removal of the feral horses. Increasing development has reduced the amount of habitable land available to them, and rising traffic levels pose a significant danger to both the horses and the public. Additionally, lawn and garden vegetation is not an appropriate diet for horses and often leads to serious health complications such as founder and laminitis—hoof diseases that are magnified by improper forage.
Unlike mustangs that have access to BLM management on public land and proper holding facilities, these horses are wandering through residential yards, public roadways, and a handful of larger private properties. While the public Forest Service land outside of town would be a more suitable environment, the easy access to food and shelter in residential areas keeps the horses in urban spaces instead of allowing them to range where they naturally should. Thank you
The people are encroaching on the horses' habitat. They need to follow range laws & fence them out if they don't want them on their unnatural, manicured lawns, which attract wildlife with succulent, yet nutrient-poor, forages such as introduced grasses. Another option is for the homeowners to plant grasses that do not attract wildlife.
The horses are fine where they are! If people do not like living with the wildlife, they need to move somewhere else. Coming from someone who watched wild horses get decimated in Nv by the BLM. They chase these poor animals with atvs and helicopters to herd them into small pens and then auction them off to people and businesses like slaughter houses. (pet food and delicacy overseas) The horses get injured and they separate moms and foals. This is a small herd and darting the mares with birth control would make the numbers stay down. Please do not ruin the wildlife because people want green lawns and don’t like horse poop! If anything we need to be taking care of the deer population here since they are numerous and often a traffic hazard. They can be used to feed people. Please leave the horses alone.
Please leave them alone. They are lovely and not causing any harm. We live across from the park and it’s always a joy looking out the window and seeing them. Our neighbors do too. I’m not sure who is so unhappy. A majority are fine with the horses. The deer are a much bigger problem. Focus should be on what to do about the deer who are ruining gardens, getting stuck in fences, etc.
Please leave these horses alone. They are no different than the deer or elk, they don't cause any more harm than the other animals in the area. They deserve to be here & have been here for many years. They are a joy to many & are a part of what makes living here special.
The urban deer population is more of a burden on the community than these horses.
WE LOVE THE WILD HORSES!! Please don't take them away.
Leave some real Montana.
They don't hurt anythng!
Leave the horses alone. Let them be.
These horses have been around for almost all of my life. I am 50 years old. They don’t hurt anyone except for divits and deposits on lawns. People can fence their property if they want to keep them out.