With me a lot depends on where I'm at, . .if I'm on a game managment area I would ensure that I did'nt get caught with my pants down. If I'm on my own private land miles from anybody, I take a rifle and if need be dispatch the animal and drag it out. I see a difference tho in putting one out of its misery and chasing one around that has been wounded. If the animal has been fatally hit then usually if we're patient enough and wait a half hr or so before searching the deer will expire on his own without any further need to put him down for good.
I can see the bigger picture from the GW's perspective tho . . .most anyone could be shining at night and then claim when their caught that it was a "wounded" deer that you simply put out of its misery. All that said, ethics to me is doing whats right and being humane is not always legal.