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!

Start w/a hunters safety course. See what kind of connections you can make while there. With other students or possibly w/instructors. After completing the course, continue to study and apply what you've learned. Hunting w/another or alone both have unique benefits. You could check out volunteer opportunities w/your state game dept. Lastly, if you know you really will apply yourself in such a field, study wage and outlook profile for taxidermy, and research various taxidermy schools if that remains a career decision. Guide school is also an option.

what part of ny are you in ? go to one of your local sportsmen's clubs and they can help you get started on your journey. i would also get some good hunting magazines and videos make sure you get the educational type not just killing big trophy animals for the rich you want to learn from them. i got every roger raglin video i could watch he is a great whitetail hunter and has a lot of great hunting tactic's you can learn from and just put your own spin on them. we'll let us know if there's anything else you want to know ??

Local gun clubs, join the local chapter of QDMA, NWTF, DU, or Friends of the NRA. Usually loaded with hunters who could help you out.

go to an upstate college with Natural Resources, Environmental Studies, Wildlife Biology, etc. Paul Smiths, Ranger School in Wanakena, SUNY ESF, etc. You'll make a lot of connections with like minded folks.
If college isn't in you plans, you may need to move to a more rural area, buy a gun, and do what some of the others have suggested (sportsmen's clubs, etc.).
It can be tough in your situation, but once you meet a few good people, you'll be set.