Pick a weapon and look at seasons for each area, inlucing WMAs. Pick out a couple of WMAs from the state websites and stats. Get OnX for each state. Spend some time looking at maps and then go walk the promising areas. KY has a pretty good field to fork program that will help as well.
Learn to Saddle hunt, or hunt from the ground. Be willing to work pretty hard to get encounters. Check out the hunting public for some of their how to videos.
No different than any other public land hunting. Put in the work, research, and time and you’ll be rewarded. Dont just ask for a handout. Do some research then ask if you are on the right track.
Like stated above get a mobile mapping app, identify public land, and get out and scout. Best way to learn is being out there. That being said, there’s also a lot of good info online and on YouTube.
When you say complete beginner do you mean like to hunting in general or just to public land and also you mentioned 2 states where are you closest to/from?
Plenty of whitetail in NKY area on the WMAs I've been to. Put some time in summer scouting and mark major intersections on maps like OnX to come back to in the fall. Nothing beats spending more time out in the woods.