Archery hunting for a few years should make you a better hunter. And the fact that you can shoot does as a learning tool without the need to draw a special tag is the reason most try bowhunting. The longer seasons, less competition for territory, the less chance of someone shooting one out from under you, the need to learn stalking and reading wind, etc. make it a great sport for learning about hunting and "The Animal". Sometimes those things are hard to learn when you can't seem to find a legal animal amongst the road sloths and modern crowds. A few years chasing does and you'd be surprised how much your learning curve is shortened. And you would be surprised how many bowhunters have set out to tag a meat animal and ended up with a fine trophy. My first 7X7 bull elk was a late season bull on a hunt I fully intended to tag a cow on. If I had known how big he was when I shot I'd probably missed back in those days
The nice thing about starting into bowhunting these days is that even the bargain bows are great pieces of equipment. Back when I started in the late 70's that wasn't the case. Todays cheapest bow would have been the Cadillac of the archery industry back then. And even the cheaper arrows of today are quite outstanding. The only piece of equipment you really need to step up and buy the best you can afford is broadheads. So the "Getting into Bowhunting" decision doesn't need to break the bank. Just make sure you get fitted properly from a qualified shop and forget worrying about brand, fps, and the my junk is bigger than yours attitude of the guys at the range.
You do need to make a more dedicated effort to become proficient with a bow than a rifle or smoke pole. But you can do that in the hallway of your house, in the back yard or on one of the many fine walk through archery ranges throughout the state. And for the guy starting out 3-D shoots are one heck of a lot more fun than punching paper in some gravel pit with a bunch of wannabe snipers, range commandos or heaven forbit drunks. And, if you are a father, there are few things that bring together father and son and/or father and daughter than a day spent together throwing arrows at make believe villains, critters and even the occasional dinosaur. Being from Marysville you have some great choices of places to go and shoot without having to drive any long distance.
Sometimes that first animal is the greatest trophy you will harvest. Doesn't have to be a Boone & Crockett buck or even a Pope & Young bull. Doesn't even need to have any horns at all. In this day and age of Outdoor Life TV and Trophy Record Books of 100 kinds elitism can break a novice down and strip the fun out of a sport that was once part of the American Heritage. And though the reward of hunting is not always a picture on facebook and a freezer full of meat it does make the effort and dedication a bit more sweet when served with blood trails and backstraps. The opportunity that bowhunting in Washington allows might very well help you find out what that kind of reward is like. I guarantee you will become a better rifle hunter in a shorter period of time by trying the bow than continuing to follow the path you are on right now.
The other option not yet mentioned that would increase your learning curve would be to take advantage of a good guide service like Bearpaw Outfitters. For less money than a top of the line archery outfit you can spend a week with good guides and pick their brains while greatly improving your chances of success. Quite often on some nice private property where you won't have to compete with the bully crowds. Many view guides and outfitters as a tool of the rich and greedy. But that is far from the truth. The right outfits can be outstanding schools for the novice hunter. And considering the cost of education these days one extremely enjoyable bargain.
Best of luck to you in whatever decision you make. I am always available by PM if you have specific questions on guides, bowhunting or archery equipment that might not fall within the restraints of an online thread.
