Hi Smallbore,
I guess what I see as common between tower and driven (as you have never been to a tower shoot, I have never been to a driven shoot), is to me neither is hunting as I know it or want it to be. I never said that one did not take more skill or that one was not more sporting then the other. To me it just is not hunting if it is not you (and your dog) putting out the effort physically to harvest your game then it is not hunting for me. Driven and tower to me are shooting games not hunting. You did carfully point out that hunting culturally varies from country to country and maybe region to region and person to person. Stocked birds can be very sporting and challenging if done correctly with good cover etc yet I can understand someone not considering that hunting (I know I don't favor it).
Jeff G.
