What would you do?!?!

[ICEMAN]

This scenario reminds me of guys who shoot into a herd of cows trying to fill their cow tag. All hell breaks loose and they keep shooting, oblivious as to which cow they had previously shot at. When I have had a cow tag, I shot the trailing/last elk (not the biggest in this case...). This way I was able to watch it specifically for a follow up shot...no two animals wounded...

[DeKuma]

I would not even think twice about it.  My hunting partners are my Dad and my wife.  I would trust either of them to the fullest that it is an honest mistake.  Hell, I almost made the same mistake myself years ago on a 4pt muley.  Had I not seen the blood in the snow going into the brush where my deer rolled I would have shot again at the other one.  I would have ZERO hard feelings for losing my tag.  It does happen.
This site has gotten out of hand with internet angles who never make mistakes and are so eager to jump on someone who, by appearances, may have. 
IF you trust your partner as you should, you would not hesitate in tagging it and knowing it was an honest mistake.

[cohoho]

Tag it and have him carry the heavy parts back to the truck....  Things happen and mistakes are made in the field, no reason to get po'ed...  I'd be bummed a bit that I didn't get to take my own animal but would get over it when the back straps were be filleted off....

[Tman]

Everyone makes mistakes, it happens. Hopefully, all members hunt with friends and family they truly trust.  #1 is the right thing to do, whether the game dept thinks so or not..

[Atroxus]

Like others have said if it's an honest mistake I would tag it to keep it from going to waste. If he gave me any reason to believe it was not a mistake though I would expect him to turn himself in, or do it for him if he did not.

[adamR]

i'd ask my buddy to call the game warden... honestly they are usually pretty willing to work with you and understand accidents happen... but if he wasn't willing to call them himself I'm not going to let that meat go to waste... guess I'd tag it

[jeepster]

id tag it... but id be pissed. accidents happen however... live and learn. the friends i hunt with are like familly so we would say "oh crap" and then get out of the area asap and laugh about it later. wasting game is one of the worst offences 

[6x6in6]

I'd tag it too.  It's an accident. Mistakes happen.  No guilt trip.  Hunted with the same pair of guys for going on 25 years.  He would be at my beckoned call for the rest of the trip though.  My cocktail cup is empty, fix that will ya. The fires cooling down, more wood please.  What's for breakfast, I'm hungry.  Dinner?  Do the damn dishes!!! 

[grundy53]

I'd tag it too. There would be no "long quiet ride home" either. People make mistakes. If you guys would seriously never hunt with your hunting buddies again because they made an honest mistake I'm glad I'm not your hunting buddy. Geez there's either a bunch of internet tough guys here or a bunch of perfect angels who have never made a mistake.

Same for me.

[huntinfool86]

this happened to a buddy of mine. he another friend went to Wyoming for an antelope hunt the guy shot and killed two with one shot, long drive for my buddy not to shoot one but he still tagged it. Its the right thing to do 

[CAMPMEAT]

Your scenario in your post is unclear to me. Reread it.