Very interesting subject. I'm a conservative shooter I always go right for the mid lung everytime. We always have a group discussion on this topic among friends. There is alot of room for error in neck shooting an animal. I've done it on three occasions but never on a elk. Center of what appears to be an elks neck is not wear the spine is located. The guard hairs on a elk can hang four to five inches making the unfamiar hunter shoot to low. At the base of the ear and just behind it about a 1 1/2 would be the only spot I would shoot this shot. Its the same with back shooting it would take a marksman and a knowledgable man to shoot these shots. We have such a shooter in our family and without fail he calls his shots everytime and to my knowledge never wounded an elk. I'm personally not to that point of confidence in my abilities. I should be but I will always go straight for the lung. Call it too many days tracking wounded elk from bad shots. I save my hats off to the men who can make them shots. And my hat is off to the men who take the conservative shots. Everyone knows their limitations and should stay inside them.