My opinion is that you should learn to crawl before you learn to run. Personally I enjoy bird hunting and the companionship of my dog/s, I also enjoy eating them. Then there are rabbits which are also good eating. Yes most bird hunting is done with a shotgun and it is another thing you would have to learn because shooting a shotgun in wingshooting is far different than shooting a rifle. If you are not willing to learn to shoot a shotgun, buy a .22 rifle and start with hunting squirrels. I suspect most people on this forum started out hunting squirrels. Of course you can also hunt squirrels with a shotgun as well. My best advice I can give you is start slow, and learn along the way and then advance into something else. Hunting is not just buying a gun and going out and filling the freezer, there is a lot to learn besides the shooting part. You need to learn where to hunt, how to hunt and there are different ways, you need to find out which way suits you the best. Right now you are all excited, you made a decision to become a hunter, slow down, hunting is all about slowing down. I would recommend you join a sportsmans club where you can associate with experienced hunters and perhaps find a mentor or if you know a good hunter who may be willing to mentor you, ask them if they will. Reading good books about hunting is good, it gives you a starting reference point but you have to do to learn. You can go out and stumble around on your own but you will learn more and learn faster with someone to mentor you and be available when you have questions, starting slow will also prevent you from spending a ton of money only to find out that hunting is not your cup of tea. Lastly, if you go for a mentor, ask around and make sure they walk the walk as well as talk the talk, thee are B Sers out there who shouldn't be teaching anyone anything and make sure they have good ethics and will not get you in a bad situation with the wildlife dept. Good luck in your endeaver.