HARRISBURG — Early figures from the state Game Commission show that Pennsylvania hunters killed more than 3,000 bears this season.

The preliminary total of 3,039 bears taken during eight days in November is lower than the previous two years. It's also far below the record of 4,164 set in 2005.

The commission said bears were harvested in 53 counties.

Officials say an 875-pound bear taken during archery season in Monroe County is the heaviest ever recorded in the state.

The largest bear killed during the firearms season was a male in Somerset County with an estimated live weight of 772 pounds.

HARRISBURG — State officials say a stray dog crisis is facing shelters.The Department of Agriculture held a meeting Tuesday with shelters to discuss financial pressures forcing some to turn away strays. A top dog law official said animal-control officers are required to pick up strays but no shelters are required to take them in. State dog wardens say they've had to transport dogs up to 100 miles to find a shelter willing to accept the animals.Pennsylvania SPCA gets $1 million a year to handle animal control in Philadelphia. But the organization said that's not enough to care for the 32,000 animals it takes in annually.