Eric, The only wood I routinely have access to for harvesting is Rocky Mountain juniper (aka Colorado red cedar), which is very similar to ERC. Others will jump in with their ideas, but here goes.
Treat ERC as a white wood. There is no need to chase rings or otherwise reduce the back. ERC and other junipers are reported to be weak in tension and bows made from them need to be made fairly wide. Narrower bows are ok if backed, but will probably take more set than ideal. Even wide bows will benefit from a thin backing. Sinew works very well with junipers and west coast indians sometimes used the local junipers with sinew backing to make very short (but wide limbed) bows.
If you want more of the colorful heart wood to show, or if you have a high crowned stave from a narrow tree, you can work the back down. If you do this you will have to back the bow. Again sinew works very well. I haven't used rawhide on juniper, but suspect it would work. Thin hickory backing might work. Do not use bamboo, as it is too strong and will definitely cause the bow to take excessive set.
One of my favorite bows is based on plains indian bows. 66 inches long, narrow handle, limbs two inches wide just above the fades, gull wing profile, two layers of sinew and snake skins.
Ron
