Let's go back and look at some stuff. I smell a rat.
So you thought you and your friend had permission to cross the private land, to access state land. You have a disagreement with someone who claims to represent the legal owner of that property and after a heated discussion decide to leave the way you came, back accross that private property which you THINK you have permission to CROSS. Up to this point I think you've acted in good faith and haven't done anything wrong. But then you see a deer on your way out, on the private property you said yourself you had verbal permission to CROSS, to access state land. And given the questionable circumstances, knowing at this point that you are most likely back on private property, you shoot the deer. WTF is wrong with this picture?
Your story further illustrates and repeats the scenario I explained above. You were both DEAD WRONG at the point that you decided to take a shot at that deer. You are in a legal grey area at best, and most definitely beyond that in the ethics and morals department. You guys made a poor decision and it happens. It's admitting that, apologizing, and moving on that will make you the better people in the deal... quit trying to explain how you didn't break any laws. "Not illegal" doesn't necessarily equal the right thing to do. Maybe the reason the other people drove in is because they actually had permission to HUNT private land that you think you might have had permission to CROSS ON FOOT.
The rest of you are trying to justify the errant behavior of two members of the forum who are looked up to and trusted. Get your head out of your tail and read the posts. They were wrong to shoot the deer under the circumstances. 24a is a large unit and they should have moved on. This is the kind of BS that results in locked gates, land posted legally as closed, and NO ONE getting permission to hunt, cross on foot, pee on, or otherwise access private land.