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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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These are wild horses that have been here forever! I live in Lower Miller Creek and find this to be part of what makes us Montana!! LEAVE THE HORSES ALONE!! They don’t bother anyone. I agree with everyone else, you have far bigger things to spend your time and our money on than a few harmless horses just trying to live their life in their home that we humans interrupted. Listen to the community for once!!
KevinW
8 months ago
Why not contact tribes such as the Lakota .. Cheyenne...Blackfeet.. etc.and offer them to tribes so they can live freely on reservation lands. The horse is a deeply revered part of their heritage.
Carmen
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone. If you do not like the Montana lifestyle, then leave. The horses were here first and they are not hurting anyone.
Stormynite
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone. Slow down and enjoy Montana. It’s neat that people want to live here. It’s becoming less enjoyable because people are wiping out the authenticity. It is a problem that people think the animals are a problem. It’s a fence out state. Fence them out and have some respect for something other than money and convenience.
EllenB
8 months ago
You might connect with the town of Ruidoso, NM who has a herd of feral horses who have lived there for years. They might have some advice and insight.
Dyggur
8 months ago
Leave the horses alone, they have roamed around before a lot of people were in this area. we have deer and skunks. raccoons. Foxes, Bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and many other animals that come through Miller Creek. Why are these animals needing to be controlled as well? The animals have lived and died here for a long time, maybe even before you were born. Leave the horses and all the other animals alone, or move somewhere else. Please
John T
8 months ago
The horses are awesome and a unique part of living in Miller Creek. Why would the county waste money studying what to do. Leave the horses alone, and save the tax dollars spent on this unnecessary study.
Rachel W.
8 months ago
The folks who actually lived in Miller Creek for decades are saying the obvious: leave the wild horses alone. They’ve been thriving without your “expert” intervention for years. Horse owners may know how to saddle up, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to dictate what happens with wild or feral horses. The real issue? A handful of people who can’t grasp boundaries or basic parenting, and somehow that means we should evict the horses? Brilliant idea. Let’s punish the animals for human incompetence. Maybe next we’ll ban trees because someone tripped over a root. Here’s a thought: stop trying to fix what isn’t broken and listen to the people who actually know what they’re talking about.
hobbyhorserider
8 months ago
leave the horses alone they are happy and healthy! they are healthy where as if you catch and move them there is potential for them to not go to a good place. they have been there for so many years. leave them be!
gogriz!
8 months ago
They haven’t hurt anyone and they’ve been around WAY before any of these new developments were. Leave em be.
Leavethehorsesalone
8 months ago
Let them be, they were their first we just happen to take their land
Kohgccb
8 months ago
Leave them alone. Otherwise just pave the entire county over and shoot all the wild animals so no one is inconvenienced. Spend your time solving traffic and budget issues that actually matter!
Loganpass
8 months ago
I appreciate Missoula County communicating openly about the Miller Creek horses. I’ve lived here for seven years, and these horses have wandered through my yard more than once. I have three kids, and we’ve always felt completely safe around them. For many of us, they’re not a nuisance, they’re a unique part of what makes this part of Missoula feel like Missoula.
I understand the concerns around safety and habituation, but removing the horses feels like the most extreme option, not the starting point. Before we talk about getting rid of them, we should be discussing mitigation, education, traffic-calming, and partnerships with wildlife and equine experts who can help the County manage them humanely while allowing them to remain part of the landscape.
Missoula has always balanced growth with preserving the character of this place. These horses are part of that character. I hope the County’s upcoming process includes real community input, transparent options, and a priority on non-removal solutions that respect both resident safety and the animals’ long-standing place in our neighborhoods.
Colin Hickey
8 months ago
Let them be.
JP Sullivan
8 months ago
The deer are WAY bigger of. Problem. Leave them alone. They aren’t hurting anything. They are on our property 50% of the time in the summer. Does it suck to clean up the poop or replace a sprinkler if they damage one - yes. But they are fine. Why does the County think they need to control everything, it’s getting ridiculous!
HF
8 months ago
Leave them alone. They are not a problem. They are part of living in Montana.
Uppermillercreekresident
8 months ago
Been there for FIFTY PLUS years! And SUDDENLY, this is an issue? STOP letting the FEW determine what the MAJORITY are fine with! It's 100% OUTSIDERS complaining about this! Us LOCALS are tired of decisions like this being made by OUTSIDERS
GOGRIZ
8 months ago
Given the multitude of issues in Missoula County I believe our city and county government representatives have much more pressing matters than sorting out how to manage a dozen horses roaming Miller Creek. Please…focus on the ‘feral’ homeless transient population, our drug infested neighborhoods, affordable housing, reducing taxes, the list goes on and on. These horses have got to be near the bottom of the priority list when it comes to governing Missoula County.
I’m a 20+ year resident of Missoula and have lived in the Lower Miller Creek neighborhood for 8 years. My family didn’t even know the horses existed until the last 2-3 years when they remarkably showed up in our neighborhood. Since then we’ve encountered the horses a handful of times and our family values every experience with them. I would love to hear feedback from Miller Creek residents because I promise you the vast majority of us believe the wild horses belong in our neighborhood just as much as those of us that have chosen to live here.
Post signs to create awareness. Inform the public to keep their distance. But let’s not continue California-izing the state of Montana or city of Missoula with unnecessary government intervention where it’s not needed.
#saveourmillercreekhorses
JLP
8 months ago
For years, I've been witness to the roundups by the BLM. Many horses are injured, mares and their foals separated, and many foals dying. After the horses have been corralled, many are transported to the kill pens, waiting for the trailers to take them to slaughter. Leave the damn horses alone! Please!
Granma_makes_pasta
8 months ago
These are wild horses, not feral. They do not deserve unfair treatment just because someone decided to build cookie cutter suburban neighborhoods in their ranging area. They are beautiful and a magic part of being a Miller Creek resident. Teach your children that like all things wild, stay away and do not pet, feed or mess with them. The driver who hit the horse was speeding. These animals are not like deer, darting out in from the waist high grass. They are slower, bigger animals. It is not hard to see them. Besides, anyone going over 35 in Miller Creek is asking for it. Just put up signs .
These are wild horses that have been here forever! I live in Lower Miller Creek and find this to be part of what makes us Montana!! LEAVE THE HORSES ALONE!! They don’t bother anyone. I agree with everyone else, you have far bigger things to spend your time and our money on than a few harmless horses just trying to live their life in their home that we humans interrupted. Listen to the community for once!!
Why not contact tribes such as the Lakota .. Cheyenne...Blackfeet.. etc.and offer them to tribes so they can live freely on reservation lands. The horse is a deeply revered part of their heritage.
Leave the horses alone. If you do not like the Montana lifestyle, then leave. The horses were here first and they are not hurting anyone.
Leave the horses alone. Slow down and enjoy Montana. It’s neat that people want to live here. It’s becoming less enjoyable because people are wiping out the authenticity. It is a problem that people think the animals are a problem.
It’s a fence out state. Fence them out and have some respect for something other than money and convenience.
You might connect with the town of Ruidoso, NM who has a herd of feral horses who have lived there for years. They might have some advice and insight.
Leave the horses alone, they have roamed around before a lot of people were in this area. we have deer and skunks. raccoons. Foxes, Bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and many other animals that come through Miller Creek. Why are these animals needing to be controlled as well? The animals have lived and died here for a long time, maybe even before you were born. Leave the horses and all the other animals alone, or move somewhere else. Please
The horses are awesome and a unique part of living in Miller Creek. Why would the county waste money studying what to do. Leave the horses alone, and save the tax dollars spent on this unnecessary study.
The folks who actually lived in Miller Creek for decades are saying the obvious: leave the wild horses alone. They’ve been thriving without your “expert” intervention for years. Horse owners may know how to saddle up, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to dictate what happens with wild or feral horses. The real issue? A handful of people who can’t grasp boundaries or basic parenting, and somehow that means we should evict the horses? Brilliant idea. Let’s punish the animals for human incompetence. Maybe next we’ll ban trees because someone tripped over a root. Here’s a thought: stop trying to fix what isn’t broken and listen to the people who actually know what they’re talking about.
leave the horses alone they are happy and healthy! they are healthy where as if you catch and move them there is potential for them to not go to a good place. they have been there for so many years. leave them be!
They haven’t hurt anyone and they’ve been around WAY before any of these new developments were. Leave em be.
Let them be, they were their first we just happen to take their land
Leave them alone. Otherwise just pave the entire county over and shoot all the wild animals so no one is inconvenienced. Spend your time solving traffic and budget issues that actually matter!
I appreciate Missoula County communicating openly about the Miller Creek horses. I’ve lived here for seven years, and these horses have wandered through my yard more than once. I have three kids, and we’ve always felt completely safe around them. For many of us, they’re not a nuisance, they’re a unique part of what makes this part of Missoula feel like Missoula.
I understand the concerns around safety and habituation, but removing the horses feels like the most extreme option, not the starting point. Before we talk about getting rid of them, we should be discussing mitigation, education, traffic-calming, and partnerships with wildlife and equine experts who can help the County manage them humanely while allowing them to remain part of the landscape.
Missoula has always balanced growth with preserving the character of this place. These horses are part of that character. I hope the County’s upcoming process includes real community input, transparent options, and a priority on non-removal solutions that respect both resident safety and the animals’ long-standing place in our neighborhoods.
Let them be.
The deer are WAY bigger of. Problem. Leave them alone. They aren’t hurting anything. They are on our property 50% of the time in the summer. Does it suck to clean up the poop or replace a sprinkler if they damage one - yes. But they are fine. Why does the County think they need to control everything, it’s getting ridiculous!
Leave them alone. They are not a problem. They are part of living in Montana.
Been there for FIFTY PLUS years! And SUDDENLY, this is an issue? STOP letting the FEW determine what the MAJORITY are fine with! It's 100% OUTSIDERS complaining about this! Us LOCALS are tired of decisions like this being made by OUTSIDERS
Given the multitude of issues in Missoula County I believe our city and county government representatives have much more pressing matters than sorting out how to manage a dozen horses roaming Miller Creek. Please…focus on the ‘feral’ homeless transient population, our drug infested neighborhoods, affordable housing, reducing taxes, the list goes on and on. These horses have got to be near the bottom of the priority list when it comes to governing Missoula County.
I’m a 20+ year resident of Missoula and have lived in the Lower Miller Creek neighborhood for 8 years. My family didn’t even know the horses existed until the last 2-3 years when they remarkably showed up in our neighborhood. Since then we’ve encountered the horses a handful of times and our family values every experience with them. I would love to hear feedback from Miller Creek residents because I promise you the vast majority of us believe the wild horses belong in our neighborhood just as much as those of us that have chosen to live here.
Post signs to create awareness. Inform the public to keep their distance. But let’s not continue California-izing the state of Montana or city of Missoula with unnecessary government intervention where it’s not needed.
#saveourmillercreekhorses
For years, I've been witness to the roundups by the BLM. Many horses are injured, mares and their foals separated, and many foals dying. After the horses have been corralled, many are transported to the kill pens, waiting for the trailers to take them to slaughter.
Leave the damn horses alone! Please!
These are wild horses, not feral. They do not deserve unfair treatment just because someone decided to build cookie cutter suburban neighborhoods in their ranging area. They are beautiful and a magic part of being a Miller Creek resident. Teach your children that like all things wild, stay away and do not pet, feed or mess with them. The driver who hit the horse was speeding. These animals are not like deer, darting out in from the waist high grass. They are slower, bigger animals. It is not hard to see them. Besides, anyone going over 35 in Miller Creek is asking for it. Just put up signs .