Jay Braman Jr. writes in the Daily Freeman the state Department of Environmental Conservation is reporting a Phoenicia man has been ticketed for illegally shooting a bear on Main Street in Shandaken. The DEC and local police were notified late Tue., Oct. 11, about a firearm being discharged in a residential area. When responding to the call, the police discovered the bear's dead body. The man who shot the animal told officers he was afraid of the black bear, but an investigation found no evidence to support that claim, according to officials. A DEC spokesman said trash was strewn about the backyard, but there were no signs the bear had broken into the man's home or tried to do so. The man was ticketed for illegally shooting a bear and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of nearby houses. The DEC declined to identify the man. He is scheduled to appear in Shandaken Town Court. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.