handloader1

I have been shooting firearms for 37 years, and I will still not take a neck shot. Good luck.

cherokee_outfitters

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.

txhunter58

I agree with the link: http://www.tnoutdoorsmen.com/killzone.htm#

Porintree

I am not an experienced hunter, but IMO neck shots have there time and place. I have used neck shots before on (deer and bear) and have never had the animal take a single step. These shots were shorter shots (less than 80 yards) and in areas where tracking and retrieval would have been difficult due to the terrain.

CamoHunter

I did shoot a nice 6 X 7 bull in the neck about 20 years ago. The shot broke his neck and he went down in a heap. To this day that is the biggest bull I have taken.
But, I would not take that shot now, I would wait for a better shot. I was very lucky

I now bow hunt for elk every year and would only take a broadside or quartering away shot.
I do also hunt elk with my rifle, and would wait now for a better shot placement.
Camo

Elkcrazy8

I have killed alot of elk, none with a rifle, even if I did I would not take a neck shot. I always go for the boiler room. Throw a wrench in the works and he is going down, I have never had to trail one very far. Alot of the time they will die in sight. I wan't to be as absolute as I can , that the elk is going down. No way no how, will I ever take a neck shot on any animal. Those neck roasts are too good eating to fill with blood shot.

skeeter 7MM

I don't agree with neck shots on deer and will never take one...same applies to elk or any other game animal for that matter. Take him in the pumper room; bigger target, leaves blood on the dirt and will get the job done just fine!

Outdoor

Ok it seems overall opinion is "Bigger Target" / "Boiler Room" and thats all well & good no argument here. But for those who feel confident with the neck shot placed properly it works the same as it does on any game from what I have read above by those who have taken the shot.
I am a neck shooter and have been for 20+ years. I learned by opportunity a large 8 point offered me... a Neck Only shot at 10 yards with the bow. The results are something that I will never forget.
Thanks for all the input!

RobinHood36

Outdoor, I really hate to disrupt your party here, but I do not like you advertising other young hunters on this forum that neck shots are O.k. The neck is mainly all bone and muscle and in my opinion one of the worst shots to take with a bow.
You stated the results are something that you will never forget... Just wondering, am I missing something here, What were the results, Good, Bad?

Elkcrazy8

I doesn't matter what the archers level of confidence is. In my opinion. An elk should never be shot in the neck with a bow. I will not take neck shots. I am an accomplished archer on the 3-D range and in the field. Experience tells me that there are too many variables that will be a detriment to my shot even at 10 yards, as I took my elk at this past season( double lung). Window of shot opportunity and window of kill opportunity are 2 different things. I had many elk within bow range, and yes I had the opportunity to shoot many, would I take a percentage shot even if it is 80 or 90 %. No I wouldn't . I had a young man with me last year who thought the neck shot was great. He took that head on shot. Needless to say the next two days were wasted and we had nothing to show for it but blisters. I spent the night on the mountain that night without a bag. Did the shot look well placed, Yes it did. Did the bull go down?He sure did. After 5 more days of hunting we had a pack of wolves howling from the drainage that we last found sign from the bull. He went down alright. I don't think that the neck shot scattered him all over the hill. Yes , I don't doubt that a well placed shot in the neck will put an animal down. But as for bow hunting elk, I think that this is a very poor shot selection given the small margin for error. If a hunter is that experienced and truly enjoys nature, he would be much more happy at watching that bull walk away healthy, then to spend the rest of his hunt regretting that he took a neck shot. I agree with Robinhood on this one.