Thanks for the input Jesse, you definitely give me things to think about.
Radius, it's no big deal to me not to have a shooter yet. I'm having fun and learning lots of ways not to make a bow.
I actually have a red oak board bow that I could work on, but it doesn't really inspire me... I have a goal of hunting next year with a bow I made myself out of materials I harvested and processed myself, and arrows with knapped points and dogwood shafts out of the ditch. So of course I'm doing my learning on saplings, which is what I can find and which is what inspires me at the moment anyways.
That said, I do keep my eyes on what the laminate boys are doing, and after I've got a couple of selfbows under my belt I'll be headed in that direction for sure. And I would Love some Yew! I may come begging yet; hopefully I can find something to trade you for it when the time comes; I can find some nice saskatoon or chokecherry for sure; when you get bored of all that yew that you tragically have to work with...
As for where I live, I'm in Regina. This is what it's like in the prairies, especially for those with forced-air heating. D-R-Y.
Anyways, I think I'll go skin another stave while I wait for my rawhide backing to dry out. I have a nice fat saskatoon that could be the Main Event!