I found myself in a situation a few years ago while elk hunting. I was still hunting in some thick timber when I bumped an elk. I got to see it, but I was unable to identify the sex of it. I had a bull tag. There was some snow on the ground, so I went and checked the tracks, to see if I could tell if it was a bull or cow. I wasn't sure, even after looking at the tracks in the snow. SO, I thought it would be a bull, since it was alone. The thing is, I also found blood on it's trail. Why it was bleeding, I didn't know. I took up the trail and eventually got well with in range of it in the thick timber, BUT I never did make a positve I.D. of sex, so I never did take a shot, as I lost it when I lost hunting light.
SO, should've I shot that elk, even not knowing the sex of it. According to the CDOW, I did the right thing. According to them, if I had shot it, and found it to be a cow, I would've been breaking the law. They say, let mother nature take its course!
Now this may have been different if I would've had an "any sex" tag, maybe! BUT, I do know, that if I don't have a "tag" in my pocket for the animal that is in some way injured, I most likely won't shoot! It's a hard call for me, and it may depend on how "injured" the animal appaers to be! Mother Nature is cruel some times, and she will take her course if I don't step in!