The best place for you to start is 1) Bowhunters safety course. 2) your local archery pro shop. Anyone that tells you any different is very misguided.
What he said...many of us are hard down on the box stores (Dick's, Gander, Bass Pro) for the lack of knowledge, qualified help, and selection of bows over the counter. Yes, there are exception, but far and few between.
Your local archery Pro Shop will have a better selection, and bows are like boots, a quick try in the store doesn't mean you won't get blisters/not like the bow later. Shoot as many as you can BEFORE you decide which one to buy. Plus, yiu are dealing with people that make their living from teaching archery to people like yourself. Money doesn't mena better, a top end (expednsive) Mathews and a mid-grade (reasonable) Mission bow have a lot of the same features, just a different wrapper...
What the other guys said, but if you absolutely can't wait until you've had bowhunter's safety make sure to check your state's regulations to see if there are minimums - arrow weight and length, and bow poundage, before buying gear.
Your state is not on your post, so not sure where you are located. Other regulations in some states include no light bow sights, no LED (lit) nocks. KCB is spot on, check your local regs, you could end up buying a bunch of stuff you can't legally use.
Welcome to the 'Fire and please ask your questions, it can be a challenge sorting through the new tech and tangle of modern archery equipment.
