Hunters in game are usually on full alert at all times to make sure they wont get ambushed by any creature or even other rival hunters. Indeed, rival Hunters are never your priority to hunt but you will have to eliminate them when you have the opportunity to do so orthewise they will eliminate you if you wont eliminate them first.

The following list lists all suspicious stuff that you must be careful or check them out if absolutely required.

Make sure to vote this guide if it turned out to be useful for you :).
Feel free to comment as well.

1. Dead Horses - Do not confuse them with "already" dead horses. This is about horses that were severely wounded by the creatures and are crying in pain when approached by a Player. If you notice a horse in an area that was alive but you do not kill it and leave the area and you come back to the same area and find the horse not responding to your presence anymore then it means a Player killed the horse and may still be around your location. Take extra caution and listen for sounds. This is an uncommon occurence.

2. Birds not in area - Most areas have fixed locations of birds to spawn. If an area you know very well does not have any birds then a Player recently spooked them or killed them with a firebomb/lantern and may still be around. This is a common occurence.

However, crows sometimes respawn to their location after a long time of no hunter's presence.

3. Dead dogs and chickens (caged) - Dogs and chickens are not dead initially and if found dead, a Player may still be around as they killed them. This is a rare occurence though as most Players leave the animals aside.

4. Monsters not in an area - Zombies are literally everywhere and if there are no zombies in the surroundings of a barn then it's likely a Player killed them and is still around. This is a very common occurence.

5. Partially or fully looted ammunation caches - If a cache is partially open (partially looted) or fully open (fully open) then a Player took ammo and may still be around the area. This is an uncommon occurence though.

6. Empty or partially empty medkits - Similar to ammunation caches. Uncommon occurence.

7. Dead Hunters - Deceased Hunters' bodies wont vanish like most monsters do (aside from meatheads). They stay permanently on map until the round ends. So, if you see a dead hunter on the ground be on extra alert as it can be an indication a deadly gunfight happened recently and the killer may still be around. Especially if the area is empty from monsters.

8. Upset monsters -
Grunts - If you notice a Grunt investigating (By constantly moving their heads side and side as they slowly walk to a path) then it means someone triggered their response. Occassionally, they may stare at a location when they are unable to go there. If you see Grunts jogging or running with their hand raised in air, then it means they are actively attacking someone or someone was too close to them and probably left in mere seconds but are still around.

Armoreds - Armoreds usually walk faster than when casually patrolling, away from their scripted patrol route. If you see them raising a hand in air then it means they are actively attacking a hunter.

Hives - Hives always spawn bees when aggravated as they have much larger radius even if hunters dont see them. A hive will jog after hunters if they are too close and only after sending bees after them. Hives will scream when alerted on hunters' presence. You will hear them screaming if you are in some close distance with the hives.

Meatheads - Meatheads who are upset will briefly raise their melee in air and/or run towards to a location. Hunters will rarely kill a meathead so use that to your advantage if you see an upset meathead.

Hellhounds - Finally, hellhounds can be heard by noises and barks if they spot and chase after a hunter.

9. Taken clues - There are two forms of clues: Taken or not taken.

Clues which are not taken are covered in white "ice glass"-like while the taken clues will have an empty deep black hole with no glass at all. This is an obviously common occurence and may mean a hunter is still around.

10. Upset Boss - A hunter can trigger both bosses by making their presence clear (as in, rushing in lair, melee on a wall or object, being spotted directly by a boss, etc). A triggered boss will run around the lair and/or jog towards to the hunter to attack them.

However, a hunter may unintentionally trigger a boss as they enter and try to leave the lair. So, if you hear the butcher for example jogging around the map then it may indicate that a hunter is in the lair or is near the lair. But make sure that you aren't the one who triggered the boss.

11. Dead Boss not being banished - This is a common camping tactic from Hunters. Hunters sometimes kill a boss but may not banish them for two reasons:
A) Camping inside the lair or around the lair.
B) They left the lair to search the clues for the second boss and did not want to alert all hunters for a banishing taking a place.

Extreme caution is required.

12. Dead Meatheads and Hellhounds - Meatheads never despawn after their death in similar manner of bosses. Hellhounds sometimes despawn after their death, sometimes not. Either way, if see a body of Meathead or a Hellhound then a Hunter recently passed through and may still be around.

13. Armed bear traps on the ground - There are no armed bear traps in the map. If there is one an armed bear trap then it means that a hunter may be around or was around. Take extreme caution whe spotting a bear trap as they will alert nearby hunters and injure you + give you a bleeding status if you step on one.

1. Gunshots - If you hear gunshots, take cover and keep it quiet and meassure where the gunshot came from and how loud was it. Was it close or far? Did it come from south or east? What weapon was it? Rifle or Karabiner? If far, you may feel free to move freely again but be on alert in case the Hunters are around. If it was close, absolutely be careful and be ready to pull the trigger. Hunters are no joke. Every player will meet this dilhemma so think accordingly.

Take extreme caution to move if the gunshots are ongoing and too wild (as in, more than 2 weapons are involved) as that means a battle with two teams may be in progress. However, it could be a team exp farming on monsters.

2. Crying pain of a horse, crows flying away, dogs barking and chicken sounds -
Keep in mind: Contrary to a belief, only Hunters can trigger them, monsters cannot trigger those events.

So if you hear either of the above and was not caused by you or your teammate then a Hunter is definitely around so be on alert.

3. Doors at buildings - A common mistake Hunters tend to do is leave the door of a house, barn or any building, open. This is always an indication that a Hunter was recently here or is still here.

However take a mental note that some buildings are scripted to have their doors opened.

4. Hunter death sounds - If you hear a hunter being killed (by hearing a scream) then it is most likely they got killed by either an another hunter or by raging monsters.

5. Sounds of glass cans and hanging chains/buckets - If you hear sounds from hanging glass cans, chains or buckets then stay on alert and be ready to pull your trigger. This often indicates a hunter moved through the hanging of objects.

However, be noted that even monsters can move through hanging objects, triggering them. This may indicate a false alarm of a possible hunter's presence but this also may mean a monster pursued a hunter through the hanging objects but lost a sight of them.

6. Weapons peeking through the windows or doors. - A common mistake the hunters do is by aiming their weapon through the windows and doors, pretty close, making their weapon actually visible. Double check the windows and doors when passing through a few buildings and hunters often peek through them by aiming their weapons.

7. Sounds of weapons switch. - This is a very common thing to hear out of sudden from your rival hunter. Each weapon have a unique switch sound. If you hear a weapon switch then it means a hunter is definitely close to you.

8. Sounds of reloads. - If a hunter is close to you and is reloading, you can hear them. Use it as your advantage to counter-attack if they were attacking you and ran out of ammo.

9. Sounds of all forms of walking. - There are 3 forms of walking. Walking, Running and crouch walking.

Walking causes more noise than crouch walking but less noisy than running.
Running causes more noise than walking.
Crouch walking is the quietest form of walking than the rest.

However be advised that a very good hunter who has a good headset or has good audio speakers will be able to hear you crouchwalking from distance so be careful when crouch walking and when not.

1. It's best to learn how every weapon sounds like. Winnfields gunshots sound differently than Vetterli rifles. Vetterli rifles gunshots sound differently than Mosin Nagant rifles. Mosin Nagant rifles sound differently than Avtomat and Nitro Express rifles and so on. This will actually help you get prepared with what kind hunter you are gonna encounter with. Would it be a low threat? High threat due to him using avtomat? Adapt your strategy and prepare to encounter him with whatever tactics you feel like are useful.

2. Explosions can attract larger monsters' attention and will increase their aggro significantly. Prepare for monster horde if you are gonna set off explosions for some reason.

3. Hives should be taken seriously and nicknamed as artillery enemy as they can send their hives to far distances. If a hive is attacking you in distance and you can't kill it, run to the opposite direction as far as you can (at least more than 30 meters from the distance you was at) so the bees can lose you.

4. The damage from monsters can differ.
Grunts with no weapons deal about 10 damage per hit.
Grunts with torch deal zero damage as they only set you on fire.
Grunts with knives deal about 10 damage per hit and instantly give you bleeding status at the same time.
Armoreds deal about 50 damage per hit.
Hives deal about 50 to 80 damage in total. It depends your distance with the hive and the bees lifespan time.
Meatheads deal about 60 damage per hit.
Hellhounds deal about 70 damage per hit.
Butchers deal about 40 damage per hit and set you on fire at the same time.
Spiders deal about 40 damage per hit and give you a poison status. Their acid smoke will last about 30 seconds and can kill you if you won't move away from the acid smoke.

5. Grunts with torches can not set you on fire at all when you are in deep waters. Therefore they will never damage you, no matter how many times they hit you.