Do whatever you want with the head and horns - why not, porcupines and possums will claim them if you don' t anyway. If I find a dead deer whether I took part in its death or not, I' m taking horns. May be looked at as the same thing as shed hunting. On claiming the buck and tallying him in on the broadhead post as your kill, no. Not to be a jerk but you didn' t finish the hunt (find him). I understand the circumstances and believe me, I' ve been there but you simply did not put a killing shot on him that was good enough to find him. Or, you didn' t track him good enough to find him. Sorry to be tough, but that' s the way I think about it.