Question for the Bow Hunters

You will get a million opinions on this. I shoot a Hoyt but I know there are better bows out there. I am not a fan of crossbows personally unless you are too young or too old to shoot a bow. I would recommend you find something with at least a 7" brace height, go to a good bow shop and shoot as many bows as you can until you find the one you like.

It's my personal opinion that if you are able to shoot a bow then a crossbow is like cheating. I know its really not, but it just seems like it to me. Since, I assume from your name, you live in the 318 area, bass pro in BC has the indoor range and a large selection of bows. If money is an issue look at the redhead bows that are made my diamond. I shoot the Kronik. It's a good bow for the money. The best thing for you to do right now is to find the bow you like and shoot a lot.

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I live in Central Louisiana

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318 goes a lot further south than I thought
Scent free stuff, thermacell, light breathable clothing, and decide which type broad head you want to shoot (fixed or mechanical). That last one ought to be fun

Nb4 Balls and the meth head references

When i got my bow I shot over a hundred arrows a day for two months leading up to season. And I am also a big believer that shooting at longer distances reveals flaws in your shooting. You might not notice them at 20 yds but you will at 60, so if you can shoot that far, do it. Even if just for practice.

PSE would be a good bow for you to start on.....just remember if the bow is 500 bucks be prepared to spend 400 on accessories.

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Once you figure out the bow situation I would find out what stand/step setup

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I got all that in order. Going to use a climber (Summit Titan because I have a rather large arse).

That cost high?

To the OP

Go to a reliable local archery shop or retailer such as Bass Pro or Cabelas to get fitted. Before buying a bow you need to know what size/draw length to look for. Some are variable up to 4 inches or so. Some are not, so this is the MOST critical part of your bow choice.
Single cam bows are a bit more forgiving than hybrid/binary cam set ups or two cam set ups. Same with brace height (You want 7" or better, which makes for a more forgiving bow)
They will try to put a whisker biscuit arrow rest on it. Not a terrible choice for a beginner ,but if you can afford it go with a drop away. You will thank me later.
Practice practice,practice. Preferably up to 40 yards if you can keep your groups the size of a dinner plate or smaller. By the time you go hunting a twenty yard shot will seem like a gimme.

As for hunting find some trails running either over the ridge at it's lowest dip (the saddle) or trails running along the side parallel with the ridge. Try to find multiple trail crossing points then set up stands downwind of these spots. This IS THE MOST CRITICAL ASPECT OF BOWHUNTING BAR NONE!
Scent free is terrific but you cannot beat a whitetails nose...PERIOD. ALl scent free and scent-loc type clothing does is minimize your odor. NOTHING can eliminate it, no matter what you hear or read. So to be successful you need to be downwind of where you expect the deer to travel. Draw your bow as they pass behind a nearby tree or look away. And aim at a patch of hair or a shadow in the kill zone...not just the side of the deer. It is a common beginners mistake and can lead to miss's as well as wounded/lost deer.
Give a mortally wounded deer at least 30 minutes before attempting to track. Iffy shots 3-4 hours.