I do not believe the doe went into the "open" to avoid the buck just because it was in the open. I do believe she was being chased and happenstance placed her there while she stood watching the buck. We as hunters mostly see does being chased by bucks because they're visible at the time...being in the wide open.

To infer the doe had the sense to be in the open, having knowledge mature bucks hesitate and avoid the wide open, in my opinion, is giving them, ie, the doe, too much credit.

I do believe it's entirely plausible that the buck did hesitate to go after the doe because she was in the wide open. Some bucks, regardless of their hormone rage to procreate, is still dwarfed by their wits to stay alive. In fact, my first buck on the wall hesitated big time to follow a doe that entered the wide open. It was his undoing when he did though.

iSnipe