There is no right or wrong in hunting. We're only playing the odds. What you want to do is stack as many factors in your favor as you can to give yourself the best odds you can have. Even then odds are still low - but better than if you don't stack them. Most of the time - the deer win. It's never easy.
Glad you got on a deer. That's a big first step. More time at the range seems necessary.
In this case where you had a deer coming in from a less thick area... Deer like to bed in the thick stuff but they don't like to walk through it. So when they're traveling you'll catch them
on the edge of that cover. If the area has no pressure you may catch them in less thick areas during the day. But this is where it's a judgement call on your part. It varies from each piece of woods. You need to assess your environment as a hunter and make the call. There are no absolutes. All we can impart is a bit of advise to help you on the right track.
I wouldn't hunt that same spot again. Odds go down with each sit. Deer come through under cover of darkness, detect your scent trail, and then avoid the area. So - you need to adapt again and anticipate where they'll be coming and going now. It's a game of chess... and it's your move...
......gun shots don't leave good blood trails in my experience (shotgun slugs can't speak to rifle). Not like archery. Slugs are designed to enter but not exit as you want all that energy all deposited in the animal. Hence expansion. I've put a slug into a couple deer and had zero blood as well. It happens (gut shots for example). One thing you want to always do is watch the animal immediately after the shot. Their reaction tells you a lot. Did the animal kick it's hind legs before bounding off, was there a poof of hair at the moment of the shot, did the animal run towards water?.... can tell you if you connected and if you should back out or take up the trail right away.