Feral Horses in Miller Creek

Please listen to the residents of Miller Creek who overwhelmingly want the horses left alone. They have been here far longer than most people involved in county government, and I have to wonder why there is a concern now. Do not listen to the vocal minority but rather the (up until now) silent majority that have coexisted with the wild horses for years.

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My name is Sheila Cushing and I live in Missoula. I normally keep my opinions to myself by I have come to love these horses. I have only lived in Montana for 2 years and I came from an extremely populated area in New Jersey. It is not often to see horses and other farm animals and it is unheard of to see wild horses. Therefore, my biggest "Welcome to Montana" moment was seeing the wild horses outside of my apartment.

I feel strongly about leaving the horses alone. They are no different than if a bear were to be on people's property or the many herds of deer that like to run across the street while you're driving 35 mph. These beautiful horses do not cause trouble and just want to be left alone. We are on their land, they came first. The issues that have come up in the past with these horses are caused by human error and lack of awareness of these animals. Education should be provided to the residents including the "Do's and don'ts" about what to do when coming across them. They are able to care for themselves and should be able to live as they please. I know I am not from here and have not lived here long, but I truly feel strongly that these horses should just be allowed to live their life.

I think it isnt right to catch the horses and force them onto random pastures. They have been a family for so long. Leave them wild and free. The only way if they are to cause to much trouble to humans who take over the land is to relocate them to land where they can still be free and flourish as a group on their own. Think about the horses on wild horse island, but some where local where they are not "owned" by humans. This should be revisited IF they become more of a burden.

My name is Leslie Tugman and I live in Missoula County. In fact, my home is one of several on the site of the old rodeo fairgrounds from which it is said the descendants of our feral horses originated. The horses visit our area often and I am in support of some form of management that allows them to remain.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed Resolution, which in my view seems to be prematurely advanced without apparent consideration of alternative measures or balanced committee representation.
The stated purpose of the resolution is to allow the capture, inspection and transfer of the horses. The resolution does not demonstrate exploration of alternate solutions such as restricting herd size, managed veterinary inspections, community regulation regarding human interaction with the horses or identification of a non-profit or other organization who might execute and fund these or other options.
The committee that drafted this resolution is composed of representatives of the county, city, other regulatory bodies, a conservation research institute, and Oxbow Ranch - a commercial business. It appears that there was no representation of regular citizens living in the affected area and who support maintaining the horses in some manner.
Questions:
1. Why is this resolution before the council at this stage? Since only regulators, lawmakers and a commercial entity were on the authoring committee, and no citizens living in the Miller Creek area were included, it seems premature to put forward a resolution that allows removal of the horses. Given the outpouring of support for the horses, why was there no citizen in support of the horses on the committee that authored the resolution?
2.) Will this hearing for public comment be used as a process for amending the resolution or in submitting an alternate resolution?
Given these open questions, I respectfully request that the following steps be taken:
1) Balance representation of the resolution committee to include one or more community members who live in the area and who are affected by the horses. There should be balanced representation of members including those who are open to options that support maintaining the horses in some manner.

2) Encourage the council to continue to research this matter and to include in their research, best practices of other communities in the country that have successfully managed wild horses in harmony with neighboring people. I site as examples the Wild Horses of Chincoteague Island in Virginia and the Corolla Wild horses of the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

3) If necessary, extend the public comment period to ensure that all community voices are heard to allow for thorough examination of the issue.

Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Tammy Staat from Missoula.

I want to begin by saying that I agree with the purpose of this resolution. Thank you for taking the time to consider and draft this resolution. Public safety, humane treatment, and responsible management are important goals. The County has authority under MCA Title 7, and the Department of Livestock has authority under MCA Title 81. A process is needed, and I am not here to oppose that.

I am asking you to address three legal gaps before you vote, because as written, this resolution could harm the horses instead of helping them. Capture and removal cannot be the only solution.

First, the conflict between Section 2 and Title 81. Section 2 states that this resolution applies only to abandoned horses and does not apply to estray livestock. However, as attorney David Aronofsky pointed out, most Miller Creek horses appear to meet both definitions: abandoned horses under MCA 81-4-501 and estray livestock under MCA 81-4-601. That creates a jurisdictional conflict between the County and the Department of Livestock. If estrays are excluded, then the herd may be excluded as well. Please amend Section 2 to include estray horses, or require the County and DOL to resolve this conflict before the resolution takes effect.

Second, MCA 27-30-204 allows landowners to remove or destroy nuisances. We recognize that landowners have rights. However, Section 6 currently makes Department of Livestock sale procedures the primary outcome. That creates pressure toward lethal solutions instead of relocation. Please amend Section 6 so that rescue placement and no-kill options are prioritized, with auction sale used only as a last resort. Also consider funding impoundment under MCA 81-4-326 so landowners have practical alternatives besides destroying horses.

Third, and most important, create a real management program. Section 1 speaks about humane treatment. Humane treatment should mean more than paperwork and removal. Add coexistence measures: prohibit feeding, petting, and harassing horses; install roadway signage; designate a single agency to respond to conflicts and injured animals; and establish a nonprofit or volunteer management program to monitor the herd, track health, and coordinate responses. We could also consider targeted management tools such as removing young stallions and fertility control for mares.

The Miller Creek community lives with these horses every day. Many residents value these horses and consider them part of the community. At the same time, there have been vehicle collisions, a child injured by a kick, a foal shot with a BB gun, and horses consuming chemically treated landscaping. Concerns about disease spreading to other livestock. These are real concerns.

The western heritage and history of these herds matter. For more than 70 years, people and horses have coexisted here. Experience shows that roundups alone do not solve the problem because other horses move into the area.

Commissioners, I agree that a process is needed. But let us make this a Miller Creek Coexistence Resolution, not simply a capture-and-remove resolution. That does not resolve or mitigate this concern long-term. Use the tools available under Montana law, resolve the estray-abandoned conflict, protect landowners and drivers, and preserve the horses that are part of our community.

This is not horses versus people. It is the Miller Creek community taking care of Miller Creek horses which are beautiful and cherished livestock that roam free and make Montana the last best place to live.

Thank you.
Tammy Staat

I am a resident of Upper Linda Vista and frequently have the horses in my yard or in the nearby park. I enjoy seeing them but, as a lifelong horse person, I know that their presence in the neighborhood is not ideal. It puts them into conflict with people, cars and dogs. There have already been two horse/car collisions, a child being kicked and numerous people who have been petting and feeding them. Someone also shot one of the foals with a BB gun. It is also not healthy for them to be eating the lush, chemically treated lawns.

I have read the resolution and I am disappointed. It seems to only be concerned with the removal of the horses. The vast majority of residents do not want them to be removed. They are a unique aspect of the neighborhood. I would like to see policies enacted for coexistence with the horses. This could include:
-Public education
-Making in unlawful to pet, feed or harass the horses and make it enforceable.
-Signage along roadways they frequent
-Designating an agency to respond to conflicts and sick or injured horses
-Creating a volunteer group to help with tracking the herd and keeping them safe

I hope the county will listen to its citizens and not just its corporate interests. I hope they will enact a more comprehensive plan to ensure the continued safety of both the horses and the public.

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!