Htoler, i have the same experience like you. I have the problem that i am 34 and started bowhunting and hunting in general THIS YEAR.
So as you can guess i only sighted deer running away from me, and two jackrabbits who ran away from me only feet in front of me. I don't really mind that i haven't had any real opportunity to get a draw on a dear yet. The two jackrabbits where my fault. I didn't spot them before i barged thru their bedding area.
I have taking the same precautions as you and have tried playing the wind. Now my conclusion is that they are indeed smarter then me , that is for now!
What i do realise is that bowhunting is going back to the roots of hunting. The advantage of a gun is gone so i enter an area that need much more knowledge and experience to get an opportunity to harvets a deer.
But i also checked the numbers and the numbers i have read is that 16% of the deerhunters filled their taglast year.
This means only one in six has been succesfull this year, or you will only get an opportunity once in every six years to get a succesfull shot at a deer!
Knowing this makes failure less hard and i try to see my trips into the woods as the learning curve i need to go through to become a succesfull bowhunter.
Even the fact that i have SEEN deer was a great experience, and i am certain that i once will have the opportunity to talk about my first deer. Untill then i try to be stuborn and try to beat the deer on their own turf.
But looking at the figures know that 84 % of the bowhunters are in our shoes too!