Police and detectives are searching the dense bushland near Nowendoc, NSW, for traces of the state's most wanted man, Malcolm Naden, on Thursday, a day after one officer approaching a campsite in the area was shot in his shoulder by an unidentified shooter.

When police reached the campsite, they found food and bedding.

Police warned residents in the rural area not to approach Naden if they encounter him because he is armed and dangerous. They also warned residents to secure their homes and call 000 if they see any suspicious person around.

Naden, who has a $100,000 reward for information about his whereabouts, is 177 centimetres tall with a medium build, brown eyes and possibly a moustache and/or beard. He is wanted for the murder of a 24-year-old woman in Dubbo in June 2005 and an aggravated indecent assault against a 15-year-old girl.

The 38-year-old fugitive is also a suspect in the disappearance of the 24-year-old woman at Dubbo in January 2005.

Detectives from the Homicide Squad have been investigating the whereabouts of Naden under Strike Force Durkin and their inquiries led them to dense bushland near Nowendoc on Wednesday.

Malcolm Naden.