Hey TugHillBoy.. it is always great to see a young man taking up the Hunt.
If you want to harvest your first deer, I would say you should think of your personal requirements. Will you be OK harvesting a Doe? or a 3 point young buck. never let peer pressure have you thinking you must shoot a 10 point 6 year old buck first. 10000's of hunters ever see a big buck and few ever harvest one. I have 38 years in the dear woods of NY and have shot quite a lot of NICE bucks.. yet only a few record book bucks. I have taken many does as well. I love bow hunting and still use rifle, shotgun and handgun.
Start spending time NOW in the woods you can hunt in. Look for deer sign, poop, hoof prints, old rubs. Find the area with the most sign and sit around in that area.. listen and look for deer. You can learn so much when you are not HUNTING them.
Go to my web site and others .. read a lot. http://www.OutDoorSupplyPlace.com
Let me know if you have specific questions.