Sounds like you shouldn't be hunting at all! Leaving a deer to rot after it spends a night without being found, because it "tastes bad" is pretty flucking lame!!
Blaming it on leaves on the ground is also pretty sorry. It sure seems you do not know where on a deer to aim and when to shoot.
Night vision optics are not going to cure those issues! In my opinion you need to get you act together or quit hunting!!