Back in the day, I figured out that if I set my scope to nine power, I could use the junction of my duplex reticle where it went from thin to thick as my 400-yard aiming point with my .270 Winchester.

Recently I sat down at the shooting bench, dialed the scope on my 7 PRC, held one minute of angle left for wind and hit a 12-inch target at 750 yards on the first shot. Even getting close at 750 yards with my .270 would have required a large dose of luck.

With all of the advances we are seeing in hunting and fishing, I wonder if all of this technology is making us too successful.

In the hunting world, I believe it started with reliable rangefinders. Hunters no longer had to guess the range, which gets harder and matters more as distances get longer. Once the range could accurately be measured, then bullets, cartridges, rifles and scopes were developed to take advantage of that information.

Fishing tackle is advancing as quickly as hunting gear. Fish finders are becoming more and more accurate so that anglers don’t have to waste time fishing where they know there are no fish.

Companies and even universities are conducting studies designed to create better and more sophisticated fishing lures and baits. We are also seeing huge advances in hunting and fishing techniques.

A large part of it is just the knowledge accumulated over time that is passed on. Social media has made it easier to share what we have learned. Best phases of the moon to hunt or fish, along with where and how. What used to be carefully kept secrets are now splashed all over the internet in an effort to get more likes.

Services are available that will advise you on which units to apply for, and mapping software on your phone will predict wind direction for next week. You don’t even have to leave your living room to “see” the area you want to hunt in great detail.

So is all of this technology increasing our success in the field? The answer is a resounding “Probably.”

Harvest success for archery and rifle hunters hasn’t really changed much in the last 30 years. However, we are dealing with fewer opportunities, shorter seasons and, in many cases, fewer animals to hunt. Is technology allowing us to overcome these challenges?

Fishing seasons and limits are also undergoing changes. Is that due to overfishing, commercial fishing, exploding sea lion populations or environmental factors? While there are too many forces in play to easily come to a conclusion, I have to believe all of these advances certainly aren’t hurting our chances of success.

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