If that's the case, I'm guessing that he's being observed 24/7 by drones with cameras with high optic and thermal capabilities. Hiding from a large number of people in the field is probably a lot easier than hiding from an unseen eye in the sky with the ability to see in the dark.
Drones don’t work so well over forest.
Any caves in the search area? Good for suppressing thermal signature. Probably also has signals intelligence on the searchers with handheld police scanner. Maybe other toys like night vision capability. Who knows how long he was planning this and what supplies he has laid into how many hiding spots.
The leaves will be off the trees soon and there will be snow on the ground for better contrast.