I started using all white vanes, and like bigbulls, I also stick a short piece of reflective tape wrapped right in front of the knock, that aids in finding the arrow in the dark.
The reason I switched to white vanes is that way I can see the hit very clearly so it takes out a lot of the guesswork.
I've had several pass-throughs and the the arrows are always burried in the ground at an angle that's easy to spot, even while I'm still up in my stand.
After you get a shot you should be waiting at least 2 hours, so while you have all that time on your hands grab your binoculars and look at/for your arrow. Scrutinize the flight path of the deer, and the last place that you saw it, you may get lucky and spot it laying dead from your treestand.
If you are sure you hit the animal and you didn't get a pass through then waiting is a must. Read all the threads on this site about blood trailing, don't get in a hurry and chances are very good that you'll recover not only your arrow but your deer as well!
Good luck