I may have learned a thing or two about animals when I got my bachelor's majoring in biology.
You may have indeed learned a thing or two Dr. Howl, but one of those two things certainly wasn't learned stimulus response, it's a basic animal thing. I'm in North Texas, not South, I guess the deer up here immigrated from the S. Texas deer you observed and passed on said feeder noise gene? Same thing for deer in OK, they respond to the feeder thing too.
I'm getting buck pics on my quieter-than-a-spinner auger feeder I wouldn't be getting.
You're getting deer pics because you're dropping corn, not because it's quietly dropping corn. Deer can hear the singular click of a shutter on a game camera, so they're hearing your auger as well. For the most part, your theory already holds no water.
We're not oversimplifying just to argue, we're trying to point out facts and experience from a state where feeding has gone on for a long time. Most folks would give that some weight.
Good luck to you.
Charlie
Bachelor of Science '88
Night in Holiday Inn Express - 5/29/19