I tend to agree that what you heard was not a hit ,and an arrow has way's of burying itself under leaves and dirt to never be found .But I've also never seen a deer stop to see what just hit him when he was actually hit ,but I have seen deer stop to look with a close miss.
I know you'd like to think that you hit him ,but if I were you I'd just admit that it was a miss .And you should be glad it was a miss .

nubo