That buck noticed the loud as hell clunk that my truth cam makes when it snaps a picture.
Shudder clunk on some cameras. On other cameras, even if they are IR, there is still a bit of a red light. Not sure if they see it, or hear it as it heats up? Heats up might not be the right wording, but there is an action. Newton's Law. If that camera is taking a picture, there is some sort of mechanisms working whether it be the energy from the batteries, the noise or something, the deer KNOW there is a camera there many times. Not always, but many times they DO know.