Whitetails have fantastic senses and I think you may be surprised what they can smell, see, and hear. Consider a few other things before deciding....How are you going to hunt? From the ground or in a tree? What is the concentration of deer in the area? Are you hunting open country?

A gun is definitely much easier, but bowhunting is an addiction. Nothing like getting these animals in close and having a longer opportunity to watch them in their natural setting. If you get a bow and are comfortable shooting with it, I'd recommend being prepared to hunt archery early, and if things do not shape up the way you want, pull out the firearm later in the season.

Oh, and now is also a good time to start studying whitetail behavior articles if you don't have much experience with them.