hey there!

I have an interesting situation here.

i'm 20 years old, born and raised in a particularly urban area. Trips to the outdoors have been far and in between, but I adored every single one and i've been in love with the forest ever since i was a child.

i'm an artist, and I'm looking to make a lifestyle out of the outdoors, and a career out of hunting and mainly taxidermy.

long story short? i don't know the first thing about either. I have zero experience with any sort of gun, field dressing, tracking, nothing! I have an extensive knowledge on wildlife and animals, and i do a ton of research.

I've read a lot on the subject and am really eager to get my feet wet, but i have no idea how to get started.
I want to take a gun safety course and a course on hunter's ed, but i don't have any family or friends who know anything about hunting, or who could help me get started (in fact, my mother was completely against hunting, as is a large percentage of my family)

so, at the risk of sounding like an idiot yuppie, I ask you, how should I get started? where can I find experienced individuals i can trust to lend me their advice for everything and all things on the subject?

thanks for putting up with my lack of education and experience, and seriously, thank you all in advance for any information you want to give me!