I love being outdoors and was looking into start taking photos during the off season(and during the season). I was wondering if the the Nikon D40X with 18-135mm lens is better then a starter camera or if I am out of my league with this camera I just started looking into the different cameras so any advise at all would be helpful.

The D40x is a greatSLR camera. Just remember, lenses make the most difference. A great Nikkor lens will make an entry level indistinguishable from a D2H when printed.

10.2 MP is plenty. Heck a lot of my fellow photographer friends still shoot 6MP Canons from 7 years ago and they still can get 20x30 prints. You'll be fine. Don't get sucked into the MP war. Also you'll be looking at about 4.8mb (RAW at about 9mb)per shot so you'll need at least a 1gig card.

As with the D40 the D40X doesn't have an built-in focus drive motor which means it can auto focus only with lenses which have their own drive motor. Keep that in mind when buying lenses.

3 FPS isn't fast by any means but taking a pic of stationary wildlife will be fine. Its the fighting bucks and turkeys flying that will cause some missed shots.

The 18-135 is a good starter,walk around lens. Remember though that you are shooting a 1.5 crop factor sensor so your actual focal length will be 27-202. I have never heard a wildlife photographer complain about having too long ofa lens so if you really wanting to get some up close shots then look at the 80-400 f4.5 VR. There's obviously cheaper lenses out there but you get what you pay for.

As far as comparisons go, the D40x and the 400D from Canon are about on the same level with the slight edge going to Canon for the better sensitivity to low light and slightly more features. If you have no bias then I'd suggest going to a camera store and picking them up and playing w/them.

I don't know where you're looking at buying the camera at but BH has what you described above for $895 HERE They traditionally are the cheapest around and customer service is the best around.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions and have fun!

Thank you for the info very much I looked into the canon eos XTI 10 mp w/ 18-55mm and a 75-300 lens, carry bag, 2gig card, battery ,tripod.2 UV filters,cleaning kit all for the low price of 950$

TNHagies is right on target. I actually just moved over to digital with D-80. I love it!! You may pay a little more, but it is an increadibly versitile camera.

On the topic of lenses, I am having more luck with my 18-135 than I thought I would. I still take my 70-300 out with me, but I find that most of my best shot are in the early morning or right before dark, and the 70-300 is doesn't do well in low light. Longer lenses are a must for wildlife, but make sure you pick ones that are effective in the lighting situations you will most find yourself in.