You also have to factor in how much land he is hunting. If it's a small piece of land, the buck is probably just cruising through looking for does. If this is the case, then the odds are greater that he will never see that buck again. His "home" territory could be 3 miles or more away. I know if I see a nice buck on my property, that is usually the only time I will ever see that buck, so I need to make a quick decision. When you are hunting on a little under 200 acres, most of the bucks are just cruising through and will be gone before you know it. As for shooting at a deer, that is not a huge factor. They hear gunshots all the time. They don't know a bullet just missed them. If the buck is on his home turf, then he just may get another opportunity, but it is rare to see a buck of that caliber twice, at least it is where I hunt. Hell, I don't even see them once. Just remember, deer hunting is all about being at the right place at the right time.