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a lot of states require hunter's safety. if you can, take it. it's mostly redundant. just read a lot. i was in your same boat - non-hunting family, kind of wanted to, my old girlfriend's brother in law took me for pheasants the first time, since i've gone for deer, turkey and small stuff but it's all been on my own. there are books and videos, lots of magazines, it gets kind of dull because the same stuff gets repeated so much. gear can be expensive, but public land is usually pretty good in my experience and you can find places without too much pressure if you do your homework and are willing to do some driving. get to know some of the state forests where you're at, particularly ones that do quality deer management or similar programs. i hunt deer in wisconsin but took a turkey just this afternoon in southern illinois, and based on some of the sheds i've found in the woods down there and what i've seen just during springtime i'm tempted to hunt deer down there as well. my thrust is, it can be done alone - whether or not you're comfortable with that is up to you. it's not difficult at all, just takes research and leg work. there's a million pointers i could give having come from the same perspective, but after a couple days in the woods i could use a good night's sleep before i start trying to give out intelligence i can't find right now. one thing i will say, rifles are great and i'd never advocate against them, but shotguns are really the sportsman's special. i used the rifle for one deer in wisconsin last season, the shotguns come into the field so much more.
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