RE: Getting into it!!!
Recurve or longbow--depends on your personal preferance. I like longbows, some folks like recurves, some folks like both. Shoot both and see what feels good to you. Seems like most folks start out with a recurve.
What make--depends on what you want to spend. There' s gobs of great bows on the market, but an old $50 Ben Pearson will kill a deer just as dead as a $1,000 custom job. Starting out, I would go cheap. First, you won' t know what you would like in a custom bow until you have been shooting for a while, and you don' t know yet if the sport is for you. The nut driving the bow is what does the job--I have a friend that has flat-out spanked lots of high-dollar bows (at tournaments) with an old Bear that probably books for around $50--$75. I' ve seen him out-shoot a PSE factory shooter with that same bow.
How long should it be--depends on the bow style, your draw length, and personal preferance. Some styles that are 52" long (or less) will handle a 28" draw, and in others it will require one that is 64" or longer. Going a little too long is better than going too short, in my opinion.
What arrows--wood, aluminum, carbon, or fiberglass. The main thing is that you get arrows that are the correct spine for your bow, regardless of what they are made of.
What weight--for deer, I' d go with 45# and up. Get a weight that you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that when you are hunting you might have been sitting on the stand for several hours in the cold before you get a shot. The bow that felt just fine when you were warmed up in the back yard may feel like pulling 100# when you are cold and stiff. 45# is plenty to do the job on whitetail, and a double lung with 45# is a lot better that a gut shot or miss with 100#.
Good luck!
Chad