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Update 7/21/2026:
Due to staff travel delays, Missoula County has rescheduled Thursday’s item related to the feral horses in Miller Creek. The commissioners will now consider the draft resolution at the public hearing meeting at 2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6.
Residents are welcome to attend this meeting in-person or virtually.
In-person location: Sophie Moiese Room, Missoula County Courthouse Annex, 200 West Broadway, Missoula
Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the call on your phone, call 406-272-4824, Conference ID 467 457 758#. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published at http://missoula.co/bccmeetings
The county commissioners opened a public hearing on the draft resolution at their June 11 public hearing meeting and took public comment. Click here to view the meeting recording.
The draft resolution is not final and could be updated based on resident feedback and other information. Residents are invited to submit public comment on this draft resolution using the comment tool below.
Project Background
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 discussed the following considerations:
History & Biology
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 EHV-1, 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.
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.
Update 7/21/2026:
Due to staff travel delays, Missoula County has rescheduled Thursday’s item related to the feral horses in Miller Creek. The commissioners will now consider the draft resolution at the public hearing meeting at 2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6.
Residents are welcome to attend this meeting in-person or virtually.
In-person location: Sophie Moiese Room, Missoula County Courthouse Annex, 200 West Broadway, Missoula
Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the call on your phone, call 406-272-4824, Conference ID 467 457 758#. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published at http://missoula.co/bccmeetings
The county commissioners opened a public hearing on the draft resolution at their June 11 public hearing meeting and took public comment. Click here to view the meeting recording.
The draft resolution is not final and could be updated based on resident feedback and other information. Residents are invited to submit public comment on this draft resolution using the comment tool below.
Project Background
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 discussed the following considerations:
History & Biology
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 EHV-1, 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.
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Sterilize mares so herd doesn't multiply. Sell off foals through BLM. Let the rest be.
Kzimm54
8 months ago
First their not feral their wild. Second their not coming into the residential area humans are making their area their own. Developers bought the land subdivided it for humans. What did you think would happen. This is not going to end well for them. Please consider them as the first priority on your decision.
Beau
8 months ago
I’m betting that review group is made up of people that belong to the Cattle Associations. They only vote one way…round up the horses and send them to auction where most of them will be sold by the pound and sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. This isn’t going to be in favor of the Wild horses just from the way they are talking bad about them. God bless them all….they are about to go through the most traumatizing event of their life. Foals will be torn from their mothers, and family bands will be split apart. Most likely they will be mistreated, and several killed during the roundup process. It is people encroaching on their lands….not the horses encroaching on the people. Horses do not destroy the land like cattle do because their manure deposits 70% of what they eat back to the land, seeds and all, which fertilizes the land. Horses also roam rather than stay in place and go to water, drink, dip and leave. Cattle stay in one area for long periods of time, often standing in the water for days destroying the water quality and riverbanks. Cattle rip the grasses out of the ground with their tongues destroying grasslands, allowing bad grass to overtake the land. Their digestive systems destroy seeds and other nutrients which is not helpful for the land. This is all about the money for the ranchers, not about saving wild horses. We see it time-and-time-again with our public lands and BLM.
Julia Ingram
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone
Jay
8 months ago
Leave them alone and start addressing the deer population. They are attacking pets in yards and walkers. If people quit approaching the feral horse. Hints way they call them feral. They won’t get hurt. The 1 car accident was so to the driver speeding. Do something about the careless drivers. The deer are bringing in the mountain lions.
Evjen
8 months ago
Leave them be! This is what keeps Missoula beautiful! They have survived for 50 years already, they will keep surviving. They help to reduce potential for burns as they eat the brush and grass.
Aberlett
8 months ago
The horses should be left alone if possible. If not, then move them somewhere they can live peacfully and NOT be adopted or bought, still left feral.
Alexis
8 months ago
Leave them alone, let them be free.
Kyla
8 months ago
So because of other people passing building permits instead of rejecting building proposals, and permits… In and around or for Missoula to continue to grow into the fields that these wild/feral horses, deer, elk, foxes, and other wildlife have used to roam freely, they are now in jeopardy of being removed from those of us who love them and appreciate them. It’s almost like we are being punished because they decided to grow Missoula into these areas!!! We are also being punished for the grizzlies. We are also being punished for the growth as well as the mountain lions and the wolves heaven forbid that they roam our forest. Oh no, let’s just remove them instead of not populating such areas! I say start spreading it out throughout Montana keeping down into the lower flats and leave the forest to the wildlife leave the fields open for them to roam freely as they have done for decades and Possibly for centuries!!
GroBeta1111
8 months ago
These beautiful horses have lived free many years. Are you going to do this with the in town deer.
I say NO, leave them alone
Jan Krug
8 months ago
Do not remove them!!! They deserve to be free and humans need to understand they are animals. Just like you wouldn’t go pet a deer DON’T go pet them! They’ve done nothing wrong. If we are concerned about wild animals let’s deal with the out of control deer population…not the wild horses
Mendy
8 months ago
Ask the tribe if you can put them on Wild Horse Island
Kevin Davis
8 months ago
Learn the history of of these animals. Then remove them.
Jerrian Jones
8 months ago
The horses were there before the houses and people. However, urban growth in the area is inevitable. A solution that allows the horses to graze the native range and people to coexist is necessary to preserve what has become a cultural icon for Missoula (Wild horses being iconic to the American West in general). I think homeowners need to fence out the horses, as is done in subdivisions where homes are built in grazing allotments. Introduced lawn grasses are not nutritious for horses, but are attractive because they are irrigated and tender. It may be necessary to thin the horse herd for safety and range health. It is also critical that the landowners receive education about the herd and how to behave around feral animals. Lighting the roadway would increase safety in the area, to prevent vehicle/wildlife/horse accidents. An "Adopt A Horse" Program could be started to help with the expenses of both people & herd management. Above all, some agency or committee made up of citizens, organizations, and agencies needs to take on the jurisdiction of the horses. Perhaps a nonprofit?
Susan S.
8 months ago
Leave them alone! They were there first. People should be teaching their kids not to touch them just like bears, lions and other wild animals. My kids knew not to feed the neighbors horses or pet them without permission. Missoula thinks they have to manage everything but they end up managing nothing and just making things more difficult...in this case it will be more difficult for the horses. The people should learn to live with them and enjoy them.
Lisa W
8 months ago
Please ignore the safetyists who are over hyping “dangers” all of the sudden and educate people to pay attention and keep their kids away. The loudest most vocal voices are creating hysteria over these horses who have been here for decades. This is Montana not suburban Waukegon Illinois.
MissoulaKeepTheHorses
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone Montana is open range you don't like them fence them out ...
Kammerer
8 months ago
I half to ask why this is an issue, and I support anyone to enlighten me. The horses aren't harming anything or anyone. The city needs to deal with the deer population before they focus their energy and our tax dollars on eight or nine horses. What are the options, euthanize, tranquilize and relocate? They are wild animals. Good luck getting a 2,500 pound horse into anything if you plan on keeping it alive. Using key words like "risk of spreading disease", "residential livestock" There are two farms on Miller creek that still exist. The rest of the land has been developed and if you read the HOA you're not allowed to have "livestock". So if someone is complaining about their feral chickens like the rooster I saw running up the road this morning. Stop it. What about the fox's, the skunks, etc? If you are concerned for safety, then it is similar to going anywhere else in Montana out of your back door. Don't get close to wild animals. I don't know why people need to get in a stink about this. Just let them be. They will migrate out eventually.
Jcbentz
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone. The one horse that died was hit by a vehicle driven by an inattentive driver. We can deal with horses easier than the crooks out here. Put your energy and time into something that matters. This is a riculous thing to waste your time on. What a waste. Oh and mths any workday at 2 pm is a way to keep the working residents unable to have public input.
8 months ago
The horses have bern the there decades longer than the subdivision. They've only had close encounters with people since the people have become so numerous. Horses dont jump in front of vehicles like deer do. If one gets hit, I blame the driver. Ive seen drivers going way too fast, & not sloeing down at all, plow over young deer that are just standing there. The only safety hazard with the herd is (pardon me, but its true) stupid city people who think theyre all pets (remember the Yellowstone bison?) & dont know & teach their kids how to behave around them. Animals speak volumes with body language. Its not their fault if these city slickers are illiterate. There are few diseases that humans & horses share. While you're contacting experts to weigh in...PLEASE get some genuine horse people of good reputation, including a few rescues. Don't depend on government agencies. They know nothing & their first response is to kill. There is plenty of evidence for that. If you need further proof of the incompetence of the government, do a bit of research on what the BLM is doing to wild horses herds in several areas of the country. Our horses dont deserve that.
Sterilize mares so herd doesn't multiply. Sell off foals through BLM. Let the rest be.
First their not feral their wild. Second their not coming into the residential area humans are making their area their own. Developers bought the land subdivided it for humans. What did you think would happen. This is not going to end well for them. Please consider them as the first priority on your decision.
I’m betting that review group is made up of people that belong to the Cattle Associations. They only vote one way…round up the horses and send them to auction where most of them will be sold by the pound and sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. This isn’t going to be in favor of the Wild horses just from the way they are talking bad about them. God bless them all….they are about to go through the most traumatizing event of their life. Foals will be torn from their mothers, and family bands will be split apart. Most likely they will be mistreated, and several killed during the roundup process. It is people encroaching on their lands….not the horses encroaching on the people.
Horses do not destroy the land like cattle do because their manure deposits 70% of what they eat back to the land, seeds and all, which fertilizes the land. Horses also roam rather than stay in place and go to water, drink, dip and leave. Cattle stay in one area for long periods of time, often standing in the water for days destroying the water quality and riverbanks. Cattle rip the grasses out of the ground with their tongues destroying grasslands, allowing bad grass to overtake the land. Their digestive systems destroy seeds and other nutrients which is not helpful for the land.
This is all about the money for the ranchers, not about saving wild horses. We see it time-and-time-again with our public lands and BLM.
Leave the horses alone
Leave them alone and start addressing the deer population. They are attacking pets in yards and walkers. If people quit approaching the feral horse. Hints way they call them feral. They won’t get hurt. The 1 car accident was so to the driver speeding. Do something about the careless drivers. The deer are bringing in the mountain lions.
Leave them be! This is what keeps Missoula beautiful! They have survived for 50 years already, they will keep surviving. They help to reduce potential for burns as they eat the brush and grass.
The horses should be left alone if possible. If not, then move them somewhere they can live peacfully and NOT be adopted or bought, still left feral.
Leave them alone, let them be free.
So because of other people passing building permits instead of rejecting building proposals, and permits… In and around or for Missoula to continue to grow into the fields that these wild/feral horses, deer, elk, foxes, and other wildlife have used to roam freely, they are now in jeopardy of being removed from those of us who love them and appreciate them. It’s almost like we are being punished because they decided to grow Missoula into these areas!!! We are also being punished for the grizzlies. We are also being punished for the growth as well as the mountain lions and the wolves heaven forbid that they roam our forest. Oh no, let’s just remove them instead of not populating such areas! I say start spreading it out throughout Montana keeping down into the lower flats and leave the forest to the wildlife leave the fields open for them to roam freely as they have done for decades and Possibly for centuries!!
These beautiful horses have lived free many years. Are you going to do this with the in town deer.
I say NO, leave them alone
Do not remove them!!! They deserve to be free and humans need to understand they are animals. Just like you wouldn’t go pet a deer DON’T go pet them! They’ve done nothing wrong. If we are concerned about wild animals let’s deal with the out of control deer population…not the wild horses
Ask the tribe if you can put them on Wild Horse Island
Learn the history of of these animals. Then remove them.
The horses were there before the houses and people. However, urban growth in the area is inevitable. A solution that allows the horses to graze the native range and people to coexist is necessary to preserve what has become a cultural icon for Missoula (Wild horses being iconic to the American West in general). I think homeowners need to fence out the horses, as is done in subdivisions where homes are built in grazing allotments. Introduced lawn grasses are not nutritious for horses, but are attractive because they are irrigated and tender.
It may be necessary to thin the horse herd for safety and range health. It is also critical that the landowners receive education about the herd and how to behave around feral animals.
Lighting the roadway would increase safety in the area, to prevent vehicle/wildlife/horse accidents.
An "Adopt A Horse" Program could be started to help with the expenses of both people & herd management.
Above all, some agency or committee made up of citizens, organizations, and agencies needs to take on the jurisdiction of the horses. Perhaps a nonprofit?
Leave them alone! They were there first. People should be teaching their kids not to touch them just like bears, lions and other wild animals. My kids knew not to feed the neighbors horses or pet them without permission. Missoula thinks they have to manage everything but they end up managing nothing and just making things more difficult...in this case it will be more difficult for the horses. The people should learn to live with them and enjoy them.
Please ignore the safetyists who are over hyping “dangers” all of the sudden and educate people to pay attention and keep their kids away. The loudest most vocal voices are creating hysteria over these horses who have been here for decades. This is Montana not suburban Waukegon Illinois.
Leave the horses alone Montana is open range you don't like them fence them out ...
I half to ask why this is an issue, and I support anyone to enlighten me. The horses aren't harming anything or anyone. The city needs to deal with the deer population before they focus their energy and our tax dollars on eight or nine horses. What are the options, euthanize, tranquilize and relocate? They are wild animals. Good luck getting a 2,500 pound horse into anything if you plan on keeping it alive. Using key words like "risk of spreading disease", "residential livestock" There are two farms on Miller creek that still exist. The rest of the land has been developed and if you read the HOA you're not allowed to have "livestock". So if someone is complaining about their feral chickens like the rooster I saw running up the road this morning. Stop it. What about the fox's, the skunks, etc? If you are concerned for safety, then it is similar to going anywhere else in Montana out of your back door. Don't get close to wild animals. I don't know why people need to get in a stink about this. Just let them be. They will migrate out eventually.
Leave the horses alone. The one horse that died was hit by a vehicle driven by an inattentive driver. We can deal with horses easier than the crooks out here. Put your energy and time into something that matters. This is a riculous thing to waste your time on. What a waste. Oh and mths any workday at 2 pm is a way to keep the working residents unable to have public input.
The horses have bern the there decades longer than the subdivision. They've only had close encounters with people since the people have become so numerous. Horses dont jump in front of vehicles like deer do. If one gets hit, I blame the driver. Ive seen drivers going way too fast, & not sloeing down at all, plow over young deer that are just standing there. The only safety hazard with the herd is (pardon me, but its true) stupid city people who think theyre all pets (remember the Yellowstone bison?) & dont know & teach their kids how to behave around them. Animals speak volumes with body language. Its not their fault if these city slickers are illiterate. There are few diseases that humans & horses share. While you're contacting experts to weigh in...PLEASE get some genuine horse people of good reputation, including a few rescues. Don't depend on government agencies. They know nothing & their first response is to kill. There is plenty of evidence for that. If you need further proof of the incompetence of the government, do a bit of research on what the BLM is doing to wild horses herds in several areas of the country. Our horses dont deserve that.