Feral Horses in Miller Creek

Being a current horse owner I understand keeping these beautiful wild horses safe especially with a developing community. However I strongly disagree with the statements that have been made making them out to be dangerous, a nuisance to homeowners and as spreaders of disease, These statements could not be further from the truth. Living in the lower miller creek area these beautiful horses make their way onto our property several times a week for sometimes hours at a time. They have never once caused a nuisance or property damage of any kind, They keep to themselves and are quite peaceful even when being drove up on or walked up to close by disruptive disrespectful spectators. They have always remained calm and PEACEFUL even while having their babies in tow. They mind their own business and aren’t even threatening to the four dogs we have in our backyard. As for disease???? You have more of a chance of seeing health hazards at questionable boarding facilities than from these horses. As a matter of fact they look far healthier than most owned horses in Montana. They have been here since the 70’s and have never caused a problem, Do I think they should be monitored in a humane manner with the developing community, yes. Do I think they should be uprooted from all that is normal and home to them, NO!!! This is Montana! If folks don’t like the wildlife then move to another state. As for the city of Missoula, maybe you should be more focused on the attacks from drug users downtown then a herd of peaceful horses in their known habitat. The drug population amongst downtown is the dangerous nuisance to our society, Not the wild horses. We need to do everything we can to protect our wildlife without disrupting their lively hood due to false accusations. Please keep them safe, happy and protected in the upmost humane, respectful manner. Basically leave them alone unless it becomes unsafe for them and them only. Thank you!

I appreciate the County Commissioners taking the time to study the Miller Creek horses issues and how best to resolve them. I have been involved as a concerned citizen with this matter, primarily in seeking ways to avoid killing any of these horses through legally mandated roundups or otherwise. Montana laws need fixing to better protect them, but meanwhile I am not sure the draft resolution does anything to help.

Because Montana laws define and treat these particular horses as public nuisances, it is necessary to review Montana's new public nuisance laws enacted in the last legislative session. Among other statutes, MCA 27-30-204 allows individual landowners to abate any public nuisance which "is especially injurious to that person by removing, or if necessary, destroying the thing that constitutes the nuisance." In other words a landowner whose property is used by the Miller Creek horses for any purpose can use this statute to kill the horses as a statutory right. I question whether any Montana county can interfere with this right as the draft resolution Section 3(1) purports to do even though I agree with its spirit. . In other words, these horses remain without protection from landowners injured by them through trespass.

I also see a problem with trying to exclude estray horses from the draft resolution's scope in as stated in Section 2(1) because unfortunately almost all of these particular horses appear to be defined as both abandoned in MCA 81-4-501(1) and as estray in MCA 81-4-601(1). This creates serious legal mischief which Missoula County and the Montana Livestock Department need to sort out by agreement.

I do think if the county has the authority to adopt this resolution as drafted, it can only help the horses survive. Most of us who have paid attention to this issue, including those who believe the horses should be left alone to roam wherever they wish and those who prefer a county-backed management plan, share the common goal of keeping all these horses healthy and alive. None of us wants to see any of these horses subjected to public auctions where the highest bidders may well be slaughter houses.The draft resolution provides procedural protections to help achieve the goal, at least as to their immediate survival. However, perhaps the county can consider ways to provide veterinary care. After all, if any end up in Missoula Animal Control after getting picked up for wandering county roads we assume they automatically receive it and are protected by the shelter no-kill policy.

In closing let me suggest the county consider the best lawful ways it can protect horses and landowners alike. If this means leaving them alone so be it, but I doubt leaving them be will remain a viable option for much longer. Wouldn't it be great if Missoula County instead created a pilot program aimed at doing this?

Thanks for considering these views.

David Aronofsky

I support leaving the wild horses in our neighborhoods. I'd like to see more education surrounding the herd, but also wildlife in general. Law enforcement could be a little more involved in our neighborhood to keep things safer for everyone as well. Speeding through our neighborhoods and not completely stopping at stop signs, is not only dangerous for our wildlife, but also people enjoying a walk or children playing, etc. It's not just cars either. Children riding motorcyles and scooters are running stop signs, not yielding to pedestrians on sidewalks, as well and riding through our parks, which is illegal on a motorized vehicle. I think we have to tackle the human problem and coexist with the wildlife in our area. Install electric fencing to keep the deer out. Don't feed the animals. But that all starts with education and enforcement, which are two things currently lacking in our neighborhood. Please consider education and enforcement instead of removal. Please keep our Montana wild. Thank you.

My comments are regarding the draft resolution about the wild/feral Horses in Miller Creek.
1. Perhaps community education is the way to go. People need to take responsibility for themselves. While it should be common sense, adults and children need to understand that the horses are wild/feral animals that are not domesticated. I haven't heard of any incidents involving unprovoked horses attacking people. Instead, the horses respond when people try to approach, touch, or feed them. People need to take responsibility for themselves and parents need to educate their children about how to behave around wild animals.
2. Lower and enforce the speed limit on both Miller Creek and Lower Miller Creek roads. That would help not just injuries from hitting deer, but also from potentially hitting a horse.
3. I agree with HollyM's comments. Please respect the majority opinion and do not relocate the horses in Miller Creek.

I have reviewed the proposed resolution and am disappointed that is seems to only respond to concerns of private landowners that would like the horses removed. It is clear that the vast majority of the community highly value the presence of the horses regardless of any nuisance they may present. Therefore, I feel the priority of the committee should be to propose a plan that would improve the safety of the public and the horses while managing them in place but nothing of the kind has been proposed. I had hoped to see:
1. horse crossing warning signs in areas where they spend most of their time and are more likely to be hit (eg. Lower Miller Creek Rd.);
2. Lowering the speed limit on Lower Miller Creek Rd;
3. Designating an agency responsible for the health of the herd that could be contacted if a horse is injured and needs to be attended to. The agency would monitor the herd keeping records of size, movement and health.
4. Public outreach about how neighbors can protect the herd and prevent negative interactions.

I would also suggest that someone organize a nonprofit to support the herd if this is not something a government agency is will to take on. They could collect donations to support the management of the herd through public outreach and education, monitoring the herd, cleanup of streets and sidewalks from droppings, and veterinary care of the herd when there is signs of disease or serious injury.

I have reviewed the documents linked above and plan to attend the hearing via Teams. I am disappointed with the lack of evidence presented. The detailed report seems to be just a summary of sorts of the comments. I expected to see some evidence like background data on the size of the entire herd, with some analysis on why this micro-herd migrated out of the main herd; DNA testing of the micro-herd to establish ancestry that can prove/dis-prove the folklore; whether these horses actually have the diseases that some commenters legitimately fear; etc. The resolution was not informed by evidence. The detailed report included fields for counts of commenters' views on leaving vs. removing the horses; however, these were filled with meaningless zeros. To better understand these counts and get a more concise summary, I copied all 16 pages of comments on the Voice here and pasted them into a single 65-page document. I then uploaded the document to the Google Gemini AI tool to get these counts and summarize the 65 pages. This is something that AI tools can do very well. The following is a compilation of responses to my main request, along with a follow-up to further analyze comments from residents in the area where those micro-herds roam. I only put the pieces together here and did not add, modify, or delete any text:

MILLER CREEK FERAL HORSE HERDS: PUBLIC COMMENT ANALYSIS
Compiled from the Missoula County Voice Portal Feedback Date: June 5, 2026
QUANTITATIVE BREAKDOWN (TOTAL FORUM DATA)
The dataset contains 266 distinct comment entries spanning a public comment period over several months. The public response shows an overwhelming consensus against removing the horses, contrasted by a distinct, vocal minority advocating for full removal or strict exclusion.
STANCE 1: Leave Alone / Manage in Place Total: 239 comments, which is approximately 90 percent of the forum. Primary Philosophy: Preservation of Montana's heritage and managing human behavior over animal behavior.
STANCE 2: Remove / Relocate / Exclude Total: 22 comments, which is approximately 8 percent of the forum. Primary Philosophy: Prioritizing public safety, property protection, and ecological balance.
STANCE 3: Neutral / Queries Only Total: 5 comments, which is approximately 2 percent of the forum. Primary Philosophy: Requesting clarification on advisory board selection, data, or adoption logistics.
SUMMARIZATION OF PERSPECTIVES
GROUP 1: THE LEAVE ALONE AND MANAGE IN PLACE CAMP (THE MAJORITY) The overwhelming majority of local residents and Missoula citizens strongly advocate for keeping the horse bands in the Miller Creek drainage. Their arguments balance historical appreciation with a critique of urban growth:
POINT A: HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE Commenters note that these horses have been a constant presence for 50 to 70 years, dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. Many trace their origins as leftover stock from Reg Kesler's rodeo ranch or Oral Zumwalt's herd, arguing they are an iconic, living piece of Montana charm and Western wildness.
POINT B: THE REFRAME OF ENCROACHMENT A dominant theme is that the horses are not invading residential areas; rather, aggressive housing developments are shrinking the horses' historic rangeland. The common neighborhood sentiment is that the horses were here first, and humans who chose to buy homes in their habitat must adapt.
POINT C: THE DEER VS HORSE COMPARISON Dozens of commenters argue that the overpopulated urban deer population is the true nuisance, causing far more landscaping damage, vehicle collisions, and localized safety hazards than a small band of 6 to 15 horses.
POINT D: HUMAN BEHAVIOR OVER ANIMAL ELIMINATION Proponents argue that safety risks stem entirely from human ignorance, namely speeding drivers and people attempting to pet or feed wild animals. They advocate for managing the humans via community education, traffic enforcement, and neighborhood speed reductions.
GROUP 2: THE REMOVE AND RELOCATE CAMP (THE MINORITY) Those supporting removal or relocation express urgent concerns regarding safety, liability, and infrastructure pressures as the wildland-urban interface expands:
POINT A: PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC HAZARDS Critics point to rising traffic volumes and recent serious vehicle collisions, including a severe crash in September 2025 and a totaled pickup truck on winding neighborhood roads like Lower Miller Creek Road. They argue that large, dark animals on unlit streets present an immediate threat to life.
POINT B: PROPERTY, PARK, AND SCHOOL DAMAGE Homeowners note costly property damage, including destroyed ornamental trees, broken sprinkler lines, and trampled gardens. Concerns were also raised regarding safety and large manure deposits at local parks and on the school grounds of Jeanette Rankin Elementary.
POINT C: DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK CONFLICTS Domestic horse owners report dangerous interactions where wild stallions jumped fences to reach domestic mares, resulting in fence destruction, territorial fighting, injuries, and expensive veterinary bills. They also highlight the risk of unvaccinated feral bands spreading respiratory viruses to domestic herds.
POINT D: ANIMAL WELFARE AND ECOLOGY Several commentators, including University of Montana Environmental Science and Wildlife Biology students, point out that feral horses are an invasive, non-native species lacking natural predators. They note that consuming heavily fertilized residential lawns causes severe hoof diseases like laminitis or founder.
PERTINENT THEMES AND OUTLIERS
THE STUDENT BLOCK CONTROVERSY Several comments are from University of Montana students engaging with the portal as a class assignment. This drew ire from some long-term residents who felt the student commentary introduced an outside ecological bias to a localized community issue.
LEGAL AND JURISDICTIONAL GAPS Multiple entries point out a challenging legal vacuum: because the horses do not fall under federal Bureau of Land Management mustang protection, no local or state agency holds clear jurisdiction over their emergency medical care or long-term management. Commenters specifically brought up Montana House Bill 791 regarding nuisance law revisions and MCA Title 81 as frameworks to consider.
TRIBAL HERITAGE INQUIRY A sophisticated suggestion emerged proposing that the county collect DNA samples via root-bulb hair or scat to test for Colonial Spanish or specific Salish genetic markers. If verified as descendants of horses released during the 1890 Starvation Winter or the Salish Trail of Tears, the herd could qualify as a heritage herd, necessitating direct collaboration with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
PROPOSED COMPROMISE SOLUTIONS
Rather than a binary keep or kill choice, the public offered several structured, non-lethal management strategies:
SOLUTION 1: INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRAFFIC MITIGATION Lowering neighborhood speed limits to 30 mph, installing flashing speed displays, and adding high-visibility Wildlife or Horse Crossing signage at blind corners.
SOLUTION 2: POPULATION CONTROL Implementing non-surgical fertility control vaccines, such as PZP, ZonaStat-H, or GonaCon darting programs for mares, and gelding or castrating the young stallions to stabilize herd sizes.
SOLUTION 3: PRIVATE EXCLUSIONS Reminding disgruntled homeowners that Montana is a fence-out state, and suggesting that neighborhoods adjust HOA rules to allow proper wildlife-exclusion fencing.
SOLUTION 4: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Establishing a dedicated local non-profit or volunteer horse advocacy group to fundraise for veterinary emergencies, conduct school outreach programs, and manage a controlled Silent Auction or Adopt-a-Foal program for weaned horses to prevent overgrazing.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: IMMEDIATE AREA RESIDENTS ONLY
Out of the 168 immediate area residents, representing nearly two-thirds of the 266 total comments, who clearly identified their location within the drainage, the breakdown remains highly lopsided:
STANCE INDIVIDUALS | NUMBER OF COMMENTS | PERCENTAGE
Leave Alone / Manage in Place: 151 comments (89.9 percent)
Remove / Relocate / Exclude: 15 comments (8.9 percent) Neutral / General Queries: 2 comments (1.2 percent)
TOTAL IMMEDIATE AREA RESIDENTS: 168 comments (100 percent)
KEY NUANCES BETWEEN THE TWO RESIDENT GROUPS
While the Leave Alone sentiment is the overwhelming majority among neighborhood locals, analyzing the specific text shows a sharp difference in why these neighbors view the situation so differently:
DOCX+ 1
PERSPECTIVE OF THE 151 LEAVE AND MANAGE RESIDENTS These neighbors generally view property inconveniences as a minor tax for living in rural Montana. They note that the horses trim ornamental grasses, leave manure for fertilizer, and occasionally knock over patio furniture, but they openly tolerate it. To them, the safety risk is entirely human-caused, driven by drivers speeding down Lower Miller Creek Road or individuals who do not know how to behave around wildlife.
PERSPECTIVE OF THE 15 SOLITARY REMOVE RESIDENTS
Though few in number, these residents represent the absolute highest points of daily physical conflict with the herd
. Unlike casual observers, this group includes the domestic horse owners whose stock has been attacked or exposed to respiratory viruses by the wild stallions, parents concerned about horses crowding the playground at Jeanette Rankin Elementary, and individuals who have had direct, aggressive standoffs with protective mares while walking in the dark.

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I appreciate why many people feel protective of these horses, and I have enjoyed seeing them in the broader Miller Creek area too. But the situation has changed. A horse moving freely across open range is one thing; loose horses lingering in residential streets, yards, parks, and driveways are another. These are large, unpredictable livestock animals now sharing space with cars, children, dogs, cyclists, and homeowners who may encounter them suddenly around a corner, in a driveway, or at night. Waiting until there is another collision or someone is hurt is not humane for the horses or safe for the neighborhood. I support a proactive, humane management plan that removes the horses from developed residential areas and places them somewhere they can be safely contained, cared for, and managed long-term, rather than treating suburban neighborhoods and city parks as acceptable habitat for feral horses.

Please leave the horses alone. The herd was in this area long before the urban sprawl. Unlike the deer in my neighborhood the horses won't jump a fence! Put up a fence!

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Hi,

I have lived in the apartments the horses frequently visit. These horses have been a fond memory for me ever since 2013. These horses have so much history to Missoula and Lolo, they are a part of the Montana charm.

I live in Lolo currently and love to view the horses from my back deck. This is such a treasured and unique experience to have wild horses to view on the daily basis. Please do not relocate these horses. If you must decide to keep them out of Miller creek please consider putting up a fence before relocation.

Having a property nearby the lower miller creek area we do frequent where the horses roam. I ask you Please leave this piece of Missoula charm alone. If people can watch for small deer when driving then they can certainly watch for horses which are easier to see. The evidence shows the risk to the public is negligible. It appears a fraction of loud individuals want to see the horses go but the majority of residents LOVE THEM. Missoula typically does whatever it wants despite residents input let’s hope this time they listen to the majority of people who want to see the horses stay.

Lower Miller Creek homeowner here -
The feral horses are in and near my yard often, passing thru to get to the park areas.
Do they trim my ornamental grasses and leave droppings for fertilizer? Yes.
Do I mind? No.
Do I go clean up after them -- not only in my yard but in my neighbor's and in the roadway? Yes.
They were here long before I was, and I respect them, and love the excitement they bring when they're near.
In my yard are also LOTS of deer, a couple squirrels and birds nesting in my trees, people's cats that wander the neighborhood, dogs being walked off leash, and people's kids that hide from their friends behind my fence. All of those (except the kids, I think) have left poo in my yard.
I have something growing in my front flower beds that I have yet to identify because the deer trim it whenever it gets tall enough to snack on. Am I mad about any of this? No. It's part of the joy of living in such a beautiful neighborhood, with kind and wonderful neighbors who look out for each other, with parks and trail systems that we share with each other AND all kinds of wildlife.
As others have stated, we love the feral horses in our neighborhood. We would love to keep them here.

Now, if you want to talk about the dangerous things in the neighborhood, let's discuss those that fly-zip-zoom down Lower Miller Creek in cars, trucks, motorbikes, e-scooters, a lot of those are also holding and looking at their phones while speeding, a lot of them are also pulling work or travel trailers or heavy equipment. Talk about thousands of pounds of danger to humans, parked cars, pets, and wildlife.
I've looked at installing a flashing "your speed is __" in my boulevard area just yards from the Speed Limit 30 sign... as I know they're not going 30 or less.

Some suggestions:
- Horse Crossing and deer xing signs
- There's only a few road entries into the neighborhood, put caution signs up stating to watch for horses and deer in this area
- enforcement of the speed limits on Lower Miller Creek and other neighborhood roads
- signs warning not to approach the wildlife

See you Thursday.

I support the proposed removal and relocation of the feral horses.

Over time, these horses have increasingly chosen to remain in and around developed areas rather than utilizing the surrounding public lands. The readily available food, water, shelter, and other attractants found in residential neighborhoods encourage the horses to stay within urban areas, where interactions with people and vehicles are far more frequent.

This creates significant public safety concerns. Traffic volumes in and around these neighborhoods continue to increase, and horses wandering onto roads create a serious hazard for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and the animals themselves. A collision involving a horse can result in severe injuries, fatalities, and substantial property damage. As development and traffic continue to grow, these risks will only become more pronounced.

There are also important animal welfare considerations. Horses are not adapted to a diet consisting of residential lawns, ornamental landscaping, and garden vegetation. Regular consumption of these plants can contribute to serious health complications, including founder and laminitis, which can cause chronic pain and long-term mobility issues.

Unlike federally managed mustang populations that are overseen through established Bureau of Land Management programs and supported by designated management areas and holding facilities, these horses are living primarily within residential neighborhoods, public roadways, and a limited number of larger private properties. While public lands outside of town may provide a more appropriate environment, the easy access to food and shelter within developed areas has encouraged the horses to remain in urban settings where conflicts with people, traffic, and property are increasingly common.

For these reasons, I support a humane removal and relocation strategy that prioritizes both public safety and the long-term welfare of the horses.

Thank you for your consideration.

The horses may have been in the greater area for decades, but they were not wandering the neighborhoods until the last couple of years. I see what they do in my yard (Lower Miller Creek area), causing some landscape damage, and leaving large piles of droppings. I observe the size of these large animals, especially the stallion, and am very concerned about potential interactions with people and pets. What would happen if one of these horses were inadvertently startled, or they perceived a threat from someone or their pet coming near, as they walk the sidewalk, or step around the corner of their house? For safety reasons I would support actively managing these feral horses that are in the urban area, to the extent of rounding them up, selling them to willing buyers, and/or relocating them to public lands far from the urban area. For their safety (car hitting them at night - they are hard to see) and ours, they should not be allowed to roam free in our more urban areas.

While the horses have been around for years, they have not been wandering the neighborhoods as they are now. There are
now 10 (?) horses and the numbers will only increase. At what point, if not now, will the numbers reach a tipping point? We can’t have 25-30 horses wandering around? Or can we? How about 40-45? At some point this issue will need to be addressed. I would suggest that a pro-active approach is best.
Thank you to you all
for addressing this issue.

First, thank you for consistently referring to these horses as feral, which should not be confused with wild. Native wild animals, like deer, elk, and moose, have evolved with the ecosystems they live in to achieve a dynamic semblance of balance. Our local ecosystems are under enough stress these days with climate change and development that we do not need to exacerbate the problem with feral species. In parts of Nevada and Arizona where feral horse populations haver grown quite large, they've caused significant damage to native flora and are replacing native fauna. We need to do whatever we can to ensure this herd remains relatively small and that we prioritize native wildlife over feral species, regardless of how charasmatic they may be.