Three men have been arrested on suspicion of deer poaching after concerns the numbers of animals illegally shot was reaching serious levels.
The men were detained in a series of planned searches in Carlow town and about 20km (12 miles) away in the village of Rathvilly, near the Wicklow border.
The men, aged in their 20s, were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation involving gardaí and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
At least one rifle and two silencers were recovered during the searches.
The operation followed reports of large numbers of deer being shot for the purpose of sale in Wicklow, Carlow and Kilkenny, with experts warning it was reaching serious proportions. The season opened for licensed hunters on September 1st.
Gardaí said the searches uncovered some evidence. The three men were being detained in Carlow and Thomastown stations under section four of the Criminal Justice Act.
Scores of deer are being shot across the three counties, with an average hind fetching about €70 and a stag about €100.
During the wider investigation into poaching, which has been going on for several weeks, one man was stopped with 24 shot deer in his van.
Poachers generally target herds in the uplands of Wicklow, Carlow and Kilkenny at night using high-powered rifles and infra-red lights to pick up the eye reflections of deer.
Press Association