I have been using cameras for over twenty years and I can tell you from experience that cameras cannot be used to pattern a particular deer. They can be used on a limited basis for inventory purposes but beyond that, not really much else as it relates to the actual hunt. Patterns change too much through out the year for it to be an effective tool for patterning a certain animal. Cruising bucks come and go during the rut, so a buck that you saw on camera may be miles away during the rut. And bucks that you never saw all year, may come into your area checking out the ladys during the breeding season. So I think if you happen to kill a buck that you got previously on camera, it is just a bonus. I will admit that when I first started with trailcams I was trying to get pics of big bucks, and I still enjoy seeing them. But it has now morphed into a separate hobby for me. I am now more interested in getting good or unusual pictures. Lately I have been getting pics of various animals, not deer, that I didn't even know existed on the property I hunt. It's just like Christmas everytime I check my cams, you never know what you are going to get. Have trailcams changed the way I hunt? In a word, yes. Because it does help me to identify the different doe groups and to know where they like to enter and exit crop fields. I know that during the rut, the bucks are probably going to be frequenting these areas. Also, If I have been getting a particular buck on camera on a consistant basis, it might cause me to hold out for him. As far as food plots go, even though I don't have any, I really don't see the difference in a food plot and a corn field. What it comes down to for me is if it's legal in your area and you are enjoying yourself, as I do with my many trailcams, I say go for it!
Blessings.....Pastorjim