PA law, as I was taught, was whomever put the last bullet in it while it was on its feet. I have never had a confrontation but have put down two gut shot deer. I stayed until the initial shooters showed up then told them to come get their deer. I wanted the deer out of its misery but did not want to tag them. I had just the opposite happen to me a few years ago. I was squeezing the trigger on a good buck and just as it was to go off, a doe jumped in front. I pulled the shot into the flesh of the bucks shoulder. I trailed it for about 300 yards when I heard a shot in the direction the deer went. I kept following the trail and came upon 2 hunters gutting it. They were defensive at first but I made it clear that it was their deer and I just wanted to look at it. They were nice after that.
