I have a yew that I would like to put into another pot. It isn't 100% necessary, but maybe fall or next at the latest it will be.

I have two questions.. the repot instructions that I've seen say that I should repot as buds extend..
my question is: how far? or maybe the buds that my yew has formed in fall and are starting to green up. so is it too early or late?

my second question: what I've read says that yews have sensitive roots. that I should uses a rake or chopsticks and that I shouldn't clean out the center of the root ball completely. Is that accurate?

I've included pictures of some of the buds.

Even if I should wait.. It would be nice to have answers to my other questions for the future.

Answer for Question 1: As they green up they are getting ready to extend so anytime now would be good to repot. As an option, If you have liquid fertilizer go ahead and give it some, if you haven't in the past 2 weeks, then give it 4-5 day before you repot. This gives the yew some added nutrients for a quicker recovery.
Answer for Question 2: The yew does have feeder roots close to the main root mass. The fine roots can be pruned away safely. If you are unsure where the feeder roots are use your wooden chopsticks to dig in to find them.
You can repot your yew in Fall but do not mess with the roots.