Feral Horses in Miller Creek
Update 5/27/2026:
The county commissioners opened a public hearing on a draft resolution related to the feral horses at their June 11 public hearing meeting, and also 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.
The hearing is expected to be open for at least 30 days. Residents are invited to submit public comment on this draft resolution using the comment tool below. When another meeting is set, project followers will be notified of this meeting date. Follow this project page at the right-hand side of this page.
Click here to read the draft resolution.
Residents are welcome to come to the next public hearing meeting on Thursday, July 23.
- 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
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.
- Relevant Montana Code Annotated sections:
- Abandoned Horses: MCA § 81-4-5
- Estray Horses: MCA § 81-4-6
- Herd Districts: MCA § 81-4-3
- Additional legal framework: Title 81, Livestock
Community Perspectives
- Many residents value the horses and want to see them documented and monitored.
- Others express concerns about safety, property damage, and disease transmission.
- Local agricultural producers worry about the spread of disease and other impacts on domestic horses and business operations.
Who's Listening
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Phone 406-258-3293
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Good morning,
I live in upper Miller Creek and absolutely love the horses in our neighborhood.
Some thoughts regarding the management of the horses
1. Reduce the speed limit in the Miller Creek area
2. Come up with a management plan from the county.
Keep in mind the horses have been in our neighborhood long before the homes.
I personally have had the horses in my yard with no problems of any kind.
Again, I am in favor of managing them but keep them in our neighborhood
John G
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The horses deserve their own management initiative that allows them to stay where they are. We need basic management. We need disposal if one gets hit by a car. We need mercy euthanization if one gets its leg broken. We need trained intervention if a horse becomes territorial in an area where there are people or children. It's not that complicated. Almost everyone wants the horses to stay in Miller Creek.
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PLEASE.... Leave the horses alone. Residents should be greatful there horses and not the occasional grizzly we deal with in Clinton
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I support the horses being 'managed' as any other wildlife population in Missoula County. I don't like having deer eat everything in my garden so I built a fence. Likewise, if Miller Creek residents don't want horses in their yard they can build a fence. Don't let your kids approach any wild animal. Reduce the speed limit and add signage in areas where the houses frequent. That being said, I support having a horse management group. If there comes a time when the heard becomes too large, I would support selling some of the horses so that the grasslands do not become over-grazed.
The horses are one of the most special things about living in the Miller Creek area. It is thrilling to see them! I think the community would be devastated if they were to be removed. I think Fish and Wildlife should take them under their jurisdiction to be the contact for issues that arise with the horses. I think there should be warning signs placed along Lower Miller Creek Rd. And the speedlimit should be reduced or speed tables should be added.
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As far as I am concerned, the horses should be left alone. As long as we treat them as wild animals, they do little of no harm to our properties, animals, or people. They are fun to watch just like the elk and deer that roam here. Teach your children to keep their distance and enjoy a piece of wild Montana. People in Miller Creek should use their energy to start asking questions about what Bonneville Power and NW Energy has been and will be doing to the neighborhood. The newly built NW Energy power station has ruined beautiful vistas, added noise, and reduced property values. Bonneville Power is coming next with a large transmission station that should spoil more views and create more disruption. Rural peace and quiet? I don't think so. Could this all be a byproduct of building more data centers in the future? Whatever it is, this power company action certainly has screwed up our rural Miller Creek environment.
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Who is monitoring this platform? Why are there comments on here completely unrelated to the the wild horses up Miller Creek? And now it looks like students from the U of M are commenting on this as part of a class assignment all during the same time frame. Everyone has a voice in this community concern. As part of a class assignment seems bias. I am still in favor of community education, signs about no feeding or petting these horses, going the speed limit signs, and a no kill policy to protect these horses. This community has coexisted with these horses for decades and the recent land development and lack of common sense along with man caused issues is now bringing the future of these horses into the spotlight. Both car accidents were causes by a person speeding. A child touching a horse unsupervised was the cause of the child getting hurt. All these incidents could have been prevented with common sense, following the rules, and education. Why harm these horses when they are protecting their offspring and doing what they have always done for decades. Domesticated horses would do the same. The management plan still involves a round up of the young stallions and birth control for the mares. It is an elongated plan for population control and eventually wiping out these two small herds. Once these herds are gone, more horses will come because that area of land is a haven for horses. You are band aiding a concern but not permanently resolving it. Control is an illusion especially when you are dealing with wild animals. I think more harm is from the deer than these horses. Sadly this is all about money and not the well-being of these horses from a rancher perspective. I understand the community safety aspect as well that children need to be taught not to just come up to a wild horse and pet them. I have read this entire platform and I agree with the comment from the Biologist about there being enough land to sustain these herds. The horses are accommodating the community development and exposure to man and dogs. The horses are being injured and hit by vehicles not following the law of man. Because a person is too poor to have fences or they have HOA laws that dictate no fences, the horses are blamed for that as well. We live in Montana, one of the last best places to live. Please don't punish these horses for man not following the speed limit, not feeding wild animals, or touching them, or not being able to afford fencing so the horse poop in your yard which is awesome fertilizer. I believe humans caused these concerns and sadly who is paying is the wild horses of Miller Creek. Remember why we all love Montana. Why we love Missoula because it is unique and weird. These horses make us special and if we get rid of them we are slowly turning our beloved community into the bigger cities that many left behind to move here. I support these horses and I am willing to put money or sweat equity into their preservation. Please feel free to contact me via email at tastaat@gmail.com. I work night shift so I have my phone on silent. Thank you and have a blessed day.