Harris shot a wild deer after Mr Edge used a spotlight to identify it. They gutted the animal and carried it further up the hill, still on the complainant's property. They saw two more deer and Harris fired two shots but missed.
After the second shot, the men saw a light further down the valley and became concerned about being caught.
They headed down the hill in the dark but became separated. Harris could not find Mr Edge, whose body was discovered in a steep gorge a month later, following a major search and rescue operation.
It appeared he died after accidentally falling into the gorge and over a steep waterfall while trying to get off the hill on April 19, Sgt Saxton said.
When police spoke to Harris, he admitted the facts. He said he knew he should not have been hunting on the complainant's property.
He yesterday admitted unlawfully hunting on the second farm and was remanded on bail for sentence next month. Judge Turner asked for restorative justice to be investigated for a meeting with the property owner.
Counsel Alastair Logan submitted such a meeting was not needed as the deer killed was a feral animal and was not owned by the farmer.