I hear these stories all the time here in PA.......mostly rifle season though. With the high number of hunters in the " Pumpkin Army" if it doesn' t drop on the spot on public ground the lead is gonna fly!
Then you wind up with 6 guys standing over one deer counting bullet holes " I shot it here.....no I shot it there blah blah blah......etc etc.
[X(]
3 years ago on Pa' s opening day of firearms season, My buddy Frank had a guy already gutting his deer with a tag in it' s ear when he reached the end of the blood trail of a nice 8pt. and not another shot was fired. Still can' t believe he let the guy take it.
Its so hard to determine who shot what sometimes, but if its determined somewhow that the animal was still going and someone else put it down then they have the right to the animal. If it was me personally and I put down an obviously mortally wounded animal I would wait to congratulate the guy at the other end.

Regardless of what they say about never mess with guys and weapons over a deer........if I find someone trying to make off with a deer of mine under suspicious circumstances I KNOW who will be going home with that animal.
I cannot be and will not be bluffed into handing over anything that I feel is mine.

I get so sick of hearing about stolen treestands, broken into cars, no ettiquette in the woods and slob hunters, that I have ZERO tolerance for this stupidity.