Comment on FR Doc # E8-09830

I am in favor of this study. Prairie dogs need management, but it needs to be humane management. Studying them may give people a better knowledge of their importance to the ecosystem, and less likely to view them as pests to be eradicated. The threat from bubonic plague is pretty minimal; according to the CDC, only 3 cases were reported from 2005-2007, and none of them were linked to prairie dogs. People are going to do whatever they like on their own property, but at least on public lands, if it's illegal to hunt them, they will not be used as target practice for hunters to teach their kids to kill indiscriminately. I shudder to think of little kids learning to kill small animals for "fun". It's not long after that they start shooting cats, dogs, birds, raccoons, etc. just to see if they can do it. Hunting for food is one thing; this is not the same.