Juggling recall and scent chasing

My dog occasionally starts chasing a scent, dog, bird ect. He’s recalled off chasing scents, but I feel bad spoiling his fun, but if I let him keep chasing he will get further and further away and likely stop listening (he has before, he’s always come back, but luckily there’s never been another distraction like a dog for example). Would it be best to immediately recall him once i notice this behavior and then play some games with him to he’s calmer, then release him again? I think as his recall improves I could probably be more lenient. But as of right now it doesn’t feel safe to let him chase a scent, especially if it’s a dog scent as that will be tracking all across the park!