I actually just ran into a WCO and told him about my buck that I had previously posted about. He informed me that it is more common than one might think for bucks to lose their antlers this early. He indicated that this was likely due to a couple of factors......the relatively poor acorn/mast crop in this area and the fact that these bucks essentially burn every ounce of nutrients throughout the rut. I looked my buck over very well and there were not any wounds other than the wound that I inflicted. It appeared to be a very healthy, large deer.
I actually shot an 8 point last night after work. It died in a creekbed and as I grabbed the antlers to pull it out of the water, both antlers came off in my hands. I live in McKean County, PA....right along the New York state border.