@Captcurt, I think we can all agree that short or tall, redheads have no place in a sane man’s life
A few points to consider before my standard advice:
1. Know the law. Washington has just recently passed rather draconian (translation: super bad) laws restricting AR ownership to include special training requirements and age restrictions.
2. Know the hunting regulations. While I do not hail from Washington I have 3 brother-in-laws who were born and raised there. They all hunt deer/elk, they all use turn bolts, and I would definitely check to make sure that ARs are allowable and with what magazine limit.
Now for my other .02:
Forget hunting just yet and buy a .22 rimfire. Find someone, anyone willing to help you learn or come back here and ask questions. Good practice is what’s needed as practice makes permanent (not perfect). If you can afford the pricier ammo of a .17 then by all means buy that instead and stretch your shooting to 150+ yards as you progress.
When you’re confident that you can manage that first rifle, and because you’ll have a local mentor, ask their advice on caliber, brand, scope mounting, scope magnification, etc. If they’re not completely confident in that arena, come back here, ask questions, find online resources.
Finally, I don’t ever recommend big game hunting alone. Washington terrain can be dangerous, carrying out large game can be difficult, and getting lost on a mountain when no one knows you’re even there is life threatening. Until you’ve secured a solid plan, there’s no sense in securing a solid hunting rig.
Best of luck to you and welcome to THR.