Plenty of times I have gotten this feeling. I've sensed when people were near despite them hiding and in conditions similar to what OP described. I also have experienced when shit is about to go down and left an area before gunshots erupted. It's a useful feeling to have for survival but it is not correct all the time. Sometimes you have to use your brain and think rationally about the situation your in despite having that gut feeling. More often than not though I trust that feeling.
“Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”-Otto von Bismarck