Ok, I just dealt with this exact situation this spring. Buck I was hunting for a year. Don't see him for a year. Found him this spring, had been hit by a car and made it to some real tall weeds. Not much left but skull, rack and a few bones. Called my CO. told him what I had found and that I had taken it to my house, ( found while shed hunting). He came to my house and filled out a salvage tag for me.
He proceeded to tell me that what I had done was Illegal. If I had justfound the horns without any skull attatched I could legally remove the horns. If there is any skull attatched you have to leave it lay and call your CO. They will come to the area and investigate. They then have the option to take the skull or write you a tag for it. If they deem the situation a little suspicious they confiscate, if they feel you actually found it and have no reason to believe there was any wrongdoing they will write you the tag. All depends on the area, circumstances, and Co's feeling on the situation. Most are willing to work with you out of season, a little less during season.
If you really want it bust the horns off, leaving no skull attatched. I suggest calling.
