i would have a serious problem with this situation.  coming all the way form ohio on my elk hunt i have been waiting for for 15yrs, i would make sure that the a$$bags would have to explain the situation to the GW or Po Po.  i would definitely hussle to make sure they could get there and take a report.  at the very least their names will be on file and in the computer for the next time this happens with that group of individuals.  the law wont be so understanding if multiple complaints are made on the same people.  u might not get you animal back but maybe the extra steps you take will make it harder for them to do it again and save someone else the headache and heartache.  what comes around goes around.

I found  a nice 4x4 buck once my father and I heard 2 shots at the crack of dawn and found this buck in heavy brush around 10 am. We drug it out looked all over for someone yelling etc no luck. After we gutted it and trying to figure out if what to do. I hiked back to the truck found a father and son an ask it they had shot at a deer. The boy who was 12 had shot it but they could not find it and had given up. It was his first deer, The dad got all pissed of that we gut the thing saying we were stealing it. I told him  remember I went and found you, You stopped looking for it, couldn't see the thing sit and rot. the kid was very happy and eventually the dad even shook are hands, and said thanks. I did feel bad the kid didn't get to gut is own first deer though.

I too would leave it to a civil conversation and stat the obvious facts ansd if they insist that they shot the buck ket then have it.  they obviously must need it more than I do.

If it was a 180 incher and on the last day. I would be contacting the local warden for sure. I'd be doing anything I could save putting my life on line to keep what was rightfully mine.

you hear of this happening more and more often. I would say that I've had this happen to me twice (once when I was 15 and two years ago) and have had friends that I hunt with also had this sort of thing happen. It's a joke... It really is. I dont know if this would be wrong of me, but I would properly gut the animal and then leave it. I might go as far as checking back in a day or so and seeing if it had been retrieved and make my determination from there as to what to do.

I started hunting on private property last year and have had trouble chasing other hunters off the property, leaving fence open, etc. About 3 weeks ago I got a gun pointed at me by some young aged punk. Even with my 40 cal strapped to my side, he still had the balls to pull his gun and proceed to tell me that I was mistaken. Long story short, I backed away and walked out of shooting range and called the local sherrifs office. The land owner had a similar incident happen to him a few weeks back.

It is sad that we have to deal with this sort of thing.

Funny, just had this happen to a buddy this weekend.  His friend shot his first deer ever.  They said the deer was bleeding out both side, really good.  They lost the trail in some thick stuff.  Meanwhile, some guys saw another hunter quickly loading a doe, with 2 holes, into his truck.  Didn't even take time to tag it, I guess.  My buddy eventually followed the drag trail backwards and found that it was his firends deer.

Now, legally, the deer is the last person to shoot it.  Ethically, I can't believe people do that...... Tasteless......