Mastevt, the problem with neck shots with a bow is as stated after your post that the vital zone is very small compared to the heart lung area. Granted if you hit either of the veins or the spine the deer isn't going far, but the catch is you have to hit them first. The odds are greater that you will punch through without much damage. If you go through teh wind pipe the deer will die but it will take a long time. If you go through the muscle odds are it wont die at all and that is what will most likely happen. with a rifle its a whole other story. There is so much shock that its gonna kill the deer cleanly even if it does't hit anythign vital. I personally have shot 2 deer with neck shots 1 was with a muzzleloader and she dropped like a rock, It was the only shot i had and i knew if i hit her she was mine and if i missed oh well she will live another day. The other deer was with my bow but it wasn't intentional. I pulled the shot alittle and my arrow hit her mid way up the neck, thank God for a 2" cutting diameter hammerhead from rocket as it allowed me to take her cleanly cuz the outside edge of the blade cut her vein dropping her a short distance away. But its a shot I wont take with a bow.