If I knew <as in your scenerio> the deer was not on the side of the river he/she's suppose to be on for me to legally shoot it, I would not shoot it. I believe that's what I would do, even if I was the only one to know.
I feel like this...
If I take the dirty shot once, what will stop me from taking another, even dirtier shot next time I'm out? I don't want to find out, even if I walk out of the woods empty handed.
I know I'm new to this sport and don't have the experience others here have but when I decided I wanted to hunt, being ethical was one of the first things the instructors taught me just last weekend. You don't shoot if it's possible the deer will die on private property and if it does, you call the game commision. That's your responsibility to the game, the private land owners and the sport.
That's my honest answer.
