Ha. I've had a similar experience. I killed a 9pt about 10 years ago. Hard antler. It was the rut and he was trying to run "with" the does, but I think they thought he was chasing them so they weren't having any part of it. When I picked his head up after I found him, I thought to myself, for a buck to be in rut like he should be, he sure has a small neck. Well, when I went to drag him out, I grabbed an antler and pulled. The antler came off in my hand and I fell back in a mud hole. Got my rifle wet. Grabbed the other antler, same thing happened. They didn't come off at the base, they pulled off about 3" above the base and the inside of the antlers were rotten. They were just mush on the inside. After I got him back to the shop I saw he had no nuts. Felt sorry for the poor thing. He had a few warts too. My bucks wee wee was bigger than your bucks is though Shiloh. Just sayin. Lol. I call em he-she deers.