I had a critter problem in my back yard. Nothing the .300 mag couldn't take care of. While cleaning up the mess, a deer came out of the woods behing my house, saw me, and took off. This was the first of only two times that I have seen deer behind my house in the three years that I have lived there. Unless the deer are heavily hunted and know to associate that sound with hunters, you were probably good as soon as he left. Otherwise, I would say that it would probbaly be ok the next day or so.