The eternal question, right? Whichever option you choose, you want to be aware of your surroundings. When hunting, make sure no one is ever following you (listen for gunshots to be safe) and make sure you have a mental image of where you can rush back to safety if things go wrong. Hiding is possibly more optimal. You can place down an automatic turret while lurking. The turret will keep an eye on what's in front, while you can keep checking your back. As soon as the turret fires, you've found your enemy.