"Conifers" is a bit generic, but broadly speaking they're all ok at least for practice. In fact some folk will tell you they're very good for practice cos it's difficult to get a really good finish on what is a relatively soft wood with long soft fibres....but some can be quite close-grained and with plenty of contrast. Think of it as a challenge!
They tend to be light in weight and high in resin/sap - a years quietly seasoning will have been a good thing in those respects, but it can take a lot longer for resin/sap to dry out.
Of course Yew is classsified as a conifer type....but be warned that turning yew will pretty much spoil you for almost any other wood! The combination of colours invariably found in it, the texture of the wood, the beauty of the grain, the likelihood of inclusions, the ability for even a relative newby to produce a finish that doesn't require sanding.....you can sense where I'm going I think.
The only real drawback is the presence of sap/resin - that stuff can really make a mess of tools and everything else it comes into contact with....but it'll come off eventually.
Go for it!
