In addition to the food.
He'll likely respond to your voice.
Leave a shirt you've worn nearby too. The scent may help bring him around.

I am moving my dog there tomorrow and he will sniff him out. They are great friends. I'm just upset right now about the trauma he went through today. But I did tame him at that place and I'm sure he remembers it. And there are lots of fat chipmunks there.

I would post signs there and go by and look for him there. How far away are you? Is it easy for you to check for him? Can you contact your old neighbors and have them look for him?

Your dirty laundry would definitely have a good scent of you.

"mmm I think I smell mackerel over that way..."

Wait and he will be back. Especially if he knows the area and knows where you live. He will likely come to eat at evening/night so keep a lookout for him. If he has a favorite bed/toy/scratch pad with his scent on it, put that out there. No matter what, no matter if it takes weeks, don't give up hope. I know someone whose cat came back after three weeks of leaving food outside. He was eating it every night. If you have raccons or wild animals, leave it on a shelf that only a cat can get to. Make a loud noise about putting the food out whether it be shaking the bag or opening the can, whatever he is used to eating. Cats have a good sense of hearing and smell. If you are a regular source of food, he will find you (and perhaps other cats too). Let us know when he comes home!

I really feel your pain. When I was moving one time, I told my then 5-year-old son to not open a bedroom door where my pets were. So, of course, he took that as a directive and let them out. One of my cats at the time was a feral rescue, beautiful but shy. He got a load of the moving company carrying stuff out and proceeded to dive through the kitchen window screen and he was gone. I called for him and waited, and waited, and waited. No Max. So reluctantly I left with my 2 other cats, 1 dog, 2 birds, and 2 kids and went to the new place. First thing the next AM, I drove to the old place and there he was on the fence looking out at the street. I snatched him up and practically hugged the life out of him. I was lucky.

I get the anxiety you must be feeling. Hopefully if your kitty knows the area (since you lived there before), he will stick around in the vicinity. I'd just keep calling for him and making your presence known. Best of luck with this and please let us know the outcome.

Home Depot sells traps for about $30.00. I had to trap one of my cats (non-feral) twice to bring it home. I would put signs up too in case one of your neighbors sees him and you could bring little flyers and go door to door. Good luck. Hope he is home soon.

You got great advice above, the worn piece of clothing and the food/water are great ways to lure him in. I know how hard it is while you're waiting for him to show up though.

Cats become so frightened that they can literally be only a few feet from you when they hear you call, and are too afraid to come out of hiding to let you know their presence.

Definitely set a humane trap with his familiar (hopefully smelly) food in it. Cover the trap with a towel or tshirt that has your scent on it. Be careful not to encumber the closing mechanism, of course. Leave the trap unattended, and hopefully, you can set it where you can view it from a window, etc. The hope is that he'll see/smell familiar things and go to investigate and go into the trap. He is probably going to only come out of hiding during the night.

If you are somewhere like a city that has rescue organizations, you might contact one of the cat rescues, tell them your situation and see if they will loan you a trap.

This can, also, sometimes take some time. Up to two weeks or longer. Be persistent and don't give up.

Wishing you and your kitty a big reunion very soon. Best of luck!