I would point out the obvious evidence pointing to the fact that it was my deer. If they weren't going to budge I don't think I would be throwing knuckles or anything. It would be pretty sad if someone was that bad of a hunter that they needed to steal other peoples. I just don't think it would be worth getting in a fight over. Might be a different story if it was something huge though.

Agree with Hawkeye, try to be civil about it, but if they insist, then leave it.  Not good to get into an argument with someone in the woods, especially when weapons are present.

I agree all you can do is talk with them and let them know the situation.  I have recovered two buck deer that somebody else has shot.  Both times with a rifle.  The first one I watched them shoot it from the road and then they couldn't find it.  After 30 minutes they got back into the truck and left.  I hiked down off of the hill that I was on and found it and taged it.  The second one I was walking through some trees and came upon a blood trail.  I followed it for a couple hundred yards and found a nice 4x4 piled up with no hunters around.  After I had cleaned it I headed up on the hill and found the hunters that had shot it.  They didn't think that it was hit that bad.  But they did tag it and had a real fun time dragging it out. 

It's only happened once to me.

I'd paid good money to fly into a remote block to hunt Sika, on the second to last day we took an animal, small 8 point sika stag, cleaned it and had it cut into quarters hanging in the meat safe at camp.

Next morning we went out for another hunt, talked to a couple of guys we met on the track who were walking to another block. They said they'd had no luck all week and really wanted some meat to take home, we said we'd got one, chatted for a few minutes then carried on.

We got back just before lunch to pack up, when we went to get the meat out we found the meat safe empty and boot tracks around it.

The only other people to have been anywhere near were the two guys we talked to.

My mate wanted to go after them but we just didn't have time before the plane was due in. I did leave a filthy note in the hut book about it though with a description of the two guys and told the pilot about it, he was going to try and find out who they were for us but we never heard any more about it.

I feel the same as everyone else. You point out the facts and if they continue then walk away to hunt another day. But, I would probably take a photo or video to show the authorities when I got out.  I would probably write down all the license plate numbers of trucks at the trailhead. They may or may not have a vehicle there. But if they do, then the authorities have video, my story and the truck to trace them down. In the end, nothing would probably come of it. So I stick to walking away.

I had a similar situation just 2 years ago. As I was hiking out I heard a shot from up on the road, Upon getting there I talked to a man with his 12 year old son who he claimed had just made a 300 yard shot on a nice buck down below. They had watched the buck walk into the brush but had not seen it for 30 minutes.

Since they did not even know how to get down to where they had last seen the buck I offered to guide them down around the mountain to a trail the deer had been on. When we got there I was able to spot the buck in the brush watching us but none of them could him. Grandpa was with also. The buck was only 50 yards away and after a few minutes of watching they told me to take the shot and finish him since they still could not spot him.

The buck ran about 10 yards at the shot and dropped. When we walked up it was very slear there was only one hole in him and the boy had missed earlier. But as we were looking the boys grandpa had him tear his tag quick so it would no longer be good on another deer. The boy knew he had missed and even asked where he had hit it but his dad just told him they would figure it out later.

The buck was just average and I had truly believed it was injured when I fired but I think this was a very poor example for the boy but I chose not to argue the point because of his age.

I saw them again the next day and the boy just hung his head as I hiked by.

I would piont out the obvious and if was gonna get physical I would just let them have it, its not like i punched my tag yet. I would probaly continue to hunt.

Numbnutz brings up a good point. What if you had punched your tag while tracking your deer/elk b/c you "knew" you had an animal down? What would you do then?