Missoula County to hold hearing on feral horses in upper Miller Creek area

Some people on social media want the horses removed from the area, saying they pose a safety risk, while others want them left alone.

Missoula County has set up a website about the issue, with a form for providing comments, at MissoulaCountyVoice.com. The public hearing will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, in the Sophie Moiese Room at the Missoula County Courthouse.

"Many residents value the horses and want to see them documented and monitored," the county's website states. "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."

One of the main issues is that feral horses are considered abandoned livestock, not wildlife. That means they are not under the authority of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

"It is not clear under state law which agency, if any, has jurisdiction to manage feral horses in Montana," the website states.

After discussing the issue with the Montana Department of Livestock, Missoula County officials convened agency representatives with subject matter expertise in land and livestock management, ecology and law enforcement.

"Horses can weigh up to 1,500 lbs., creating significant hazards on roadways," the website continues. "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."

Feral horses have been roaming Missoula County for more than a century, with accounts of them as far back as the early 1900s. Some were released by rodeo grounds owners.

Decades ago, there were rodeos held at the KO Rodeo Grounds by Oral Zumwalt, Bud Lake and others, and rodeo horses got released over time. Ranchers in the area also let some go over the years. Private landowners have periodically conducted roundups, with the most recent one in 2023. Those horses were sold to buyers interested in their rodeo stock lineage.

The county says that horses require about 35 acres per head for sustainable grazing, but development pressures are reducing the available range. Populations can double every four to five years, and several bands exist in the Miller Creek area. Apparently, one of the main complicating factors is that the horses are primarily on private land, meaning no government agencies have clear jurisdiction.

Feral horses can spread disease to domestic horses, and there are logistical considerations around how to contain and vaccinate feral horses.