January 2021 shattered the previous all-time high for the number of National Instant Criminal Background Check System (N/ICS) checks performed in any month for people wanting to purchase a firearm.

FBI figures disclose there were 4,317,804 NICS checks conducted in January 2021, surpassing the previous record of 2,702,702 that was set in January 2020.

In addition to setting a single month record, this tremendous surge in background checks makes January 2021 record setting for the number of NICS witnessed during any month. The previous one month record was 3,740,688 NICS checks set in March 2020.

January 2021 comes on the heels of a record setting year of 2020 when each month proved to be a record month for background checks. In other words, January 2020 had more background checks than any January in history, same for February, March and so on all the way to December 2020. But all those records were surpassed and broken by the number of background checks in January 2021.

National Shooting Sports Foundation's spokesman Mark Oliva, prior to the release of the NICS recently reported numbers, said he was confident the January 2021 background check numbers would be breathtaking. His reasoning was very simple, “The American people know President Joe Biden is focused on restricting the exercise of the Second Amendment at every opportunity he gets.”

What does all this tell us? People want to be able to defend themselves and their family and they want to do it now before it may be impossible to purchase a firearm.

CROSSBOWS!

Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently submitted the 2022 fiscal year budget that includes the expansion of crossbow hunting in all big game seasons including the use of crossbows during the entire archery seasons. This bill would give the NYS DEC the authority to regulate the crossbow seasons and regulations. The DEC is on record of supporting the use of crossbows during the entire archery seasons.

The bill also lowers the big game hunting age to 12. If it is passed, many believe it will be a victory for New York's sportsmen/women, youth & elderly hunters. The bill is headed in the right direction, especially now with the Governor's approval.

The passage of this bill will give all NY hunters and especially the elderly the opportunity to get out hunting big game during the early archery season when it is still fairly warmer and to hunt during the “buck- rut” that is usually in progress.

This should have happen long ago; NY is 13 years behind Pennsylvania when they combined their archery seasons with the crossbow hunting seasons.

Jack Danchak is a longtime sportsmen and spent 30 years as the President of the Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.