I'm always happy to see a new bowhunter. Welcome to the passion.

You could buy mailorder and save a couple dollars, but since you're a new bowhunter, I'd recommend finding the bow shop in your area with the best reputation and go there to get your first bow. The brand you choose is unimportant. The key for an inexperienced hunter, is to find someone who can properly set you up, help tune your bow and give you tips on shooting well. The difference in results from the two scenerios, can be dramatic. You are unlikely to make good decisions on your own and a poor fitting setup that is out of tune, will frustrate you to no end. I hate to see that, so start out on the right foot. Get lots of help from someone who is very good at this.

You can start out with a low-end bow and end up shooting like a pro. Most bow shops carry all price levels of bows. Although they may not be able to match a mailorder price, they will make up for it, in how well they'll get you shooting - and quickly too!