Feral Horses in Miller Creek

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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.

Missoulians have long loved these wild horses. They have been here longer than the homes up Miller Creek-- surely we can find a way to "manage"/coexist with them. Thousands of folks living in the area have petitioned to keep them free. Please listen to those voices. Practical solutions can be found and implemented to address people's concerns. As a 5th generation Montana, it is quite difficult to see people prioritize their tidy neighborhood -- or even their backyard shrubs -- over the wildness that makes this state so unique and beautiful. We are one of few places left with any true wildness. Please, allow these beautiful animals to remain free. Stop trying to domesticate Western Montana.

They have long been up on the mountain and would occasionally come down. Figure out what has pushed them lower to safety. Is it the wolves? As for complainers- they are implants to this state and should leave if they don’t like them. As with all wild animals- Montanans learn safety and respect for them. It’s a teachable moment. Maybe let the out of starters know too that this isn’t the time of year to jump in the river!!

I don't live up Miller Creek, but ther is little enough left of Missoula "wildness". Wild horses are present in other locales in Montana, so ther is obviously a way to deal with them. We spend plenty of money on development, some might say too much. We could spend some to keep this iconic part of the west.
Any large animal (elk, moose, deer, etc.) could cause damage to vehicles or humans. Just had a bear in the driveway last week and we all know the deer are problem all over town.
C'mon, find a way to do something for the natural world with the tax money instead of giving it to developers and banks.

The herd situation is most certainly a difficult one. I like seeing them, however; it is not my home and yard where they are going, and obviously a herd is going to cause damage, and could threaten someone's safety.

I belive the herd needs to be managed to some extent. If that area is Free Range there will be more than one incident with a vehicle and the person who owns the vehicle is going to have a significant expense. The animal will either die in the accident, or be put down due to injuries.

The wild horse herd of Miller Creek has been living in the area for longer than my grandparents have been alive. They play a vital part of the local ecology, filling part of the Ruminant role left behind by historic grazing species in the area. Their presence not only does not disturb other native wildlife like the elk herds or deer, but help keep open grassy area available. With the continued expansion of housing projects further into the miller creek area, which diminishes the herds historic grazing areas, it not surprising to see the herd exploring neighborhoods. They have always grazed in what was once open grass hills, but they spend much of there time in the mountains, not disturbing people or livestock. With the loss of their graze area to housing, it is most like they will return higher up in underdeveloped areas, maintaining their long history of minimum human interaction.

As for safety concerns, consider that there is only one safety incident noted in the information above. Compare the one incident to the countless deer incidents in the Miller Creek area. Local elk out number the wild horse herd, are roughly the same size, and follow similar mannerisms. Elk pose a larger safety hazard then the herd but elk incident remains low if not non-existent in the area. The road safety concern of the wild horse herd is negligible. Deer and elk in the area pose more of a safety risk to people than these Wildhorses every will. They have been a part of the valley long before anyone reading this has been. Any actions to remove them would be an utter disgrace to the history, ecology, and beauty of Miller Creek.

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I recently had twins and 4 kids overall so I’m not sure I will make it physically to the hearing but I am here today to ask that we protect and preserve the feral wild horses of Missoula. As a resident of Lower Miller Creek, these horses are more than animals living on the land and most the time on my actual lawn— they are a symbol of freedom, resilience, and the natural beauty that makes this community special.

For many families, children, and residents, seeing these horses brings wonder, connection, and respect for the world around us. Once they are gone, we cannot bring back what was lost. We have a responsibility to seek compassionate, thoughtful solutions that value both safety and preservation rather than removal or destruction.

A community is remembered not only for how it grows, but for what it chooses to protect. I urge the council to consider humane conservation efforts, partnerships, and long-term solutions that allow these horses to remain part of the landscape while responsibly addressing concerns.

Please choose compassion. Please choose preservation. Future generations deserve the chance to witness the beauty of these wild horses and understand that in Missoula, we protected something truly irreplaceable. Thank you.

I live in Upper Linda Vista and while the horses are fun to see, they are hazardous. And petty as this is, I don’t care for the horse shit throughout the neighborhood, especially at the playgrounds. I don’t think it’s safe for the horses or humans if they remain in Miller Creek.

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We love the horses. Yes we need to educate the children and adults that these are wild animals and can be dangerous but that is true of the deer and other animals in our neighborhood. I have witnessed individuals intentionally walking up to our herd here in the Miller Creek area. That is not acceptable on any level, we don’t want the horses to become accustom to people contact.
I believe deer control is more important but that said I agree with one of the other comments that the herd should be managed and kept within the ten or eleven we see now.