I've just deliberately sent my husband on a wild goose chase

[GooseyGooseyWander]

I may or may not have changed some details of said hobby and equipment.

He has a 'hobby' that he is obsessed with. Let's call it wild goose chasing. He watches YouTube videos about wild goose chasing, he reads magazines about wild goose chasing, he has all the gear ('infrared', 'thermal imaging' etc) and likes to go out wild goose chasing on a regular basis.

Recently he hasn't been wild goose chasing due to some disillusionment with his level of success in wild goose chasing and the lack of presence of gooses in the local area. This means every night, for many hours he has talked to me about wild goose chasing. Reads out bits from magazines to me. Talks endlessly. Listens to goose chasing videos in bed and comments on goose chasing techniques.

Tonight I went out on a run and happened to see a wild goose in an unusual location.

Nonchalantly told DH about it and would you know it, off his own back he's excitedly gone out to chase said wild goose.

I've now had two hours of mumsnetting and watching MAFS UK without someone talking about gooses through it. I expect DH is still delightedly crawling around on his hands and knees with his thermal imaging goggles looking for said wild goose.

Only I didn't see a wild goose.

AIBU?

AIBU to see it again tomorrow?

I went for a wild goose chase on Orkney for orcas and then risso dolphins in July. There were loads of people all driving around on wild goose chase too. But it was Orkney so it wasn't like there was much else to do except go down to twatt

Spotlighting for wombats/wallabies escaped from local zoos.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 LEGEND.

It's got to be foxes.

"It's balanced out by the times I actually have seen a goose and not told him because I don't want him distracted from important family stuff. "

He goes to all this effort to see gooses and you just spot them all the time without trying? 😆

Utter brilliance on your part OP.

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@SleepingStandingUp

It isn't bullying. She mentioned in passing she saw a goose, he wanted to go look for the goose. She didn't make him go out.

But she lied. She never saw a goose. She lied to him for her own amusement because she knew he’d want to go and look for the goose. Now she’s sitting at home having a laugh while he’s out looking for a goose that doesn’t exist. That’s bullying. Sorry I do not find this funny at all.[/quote]
But, it's given him the nudge he needed to reignite the passion. He enjoyed himself instead of moping and wants to go out tomorrow. If it have been written in a less humorous way I'm sure you'd have objected less.

Is it fishing? 🎣? Deer 🦌 stalking? Otter 🦦 watching?

Not placemarking at all!

Genius!

Do you have any friends who you could arrange to phone you for a chat about Women's Interests (eg MAFS) and then say "Oh - you'll never guess what I saw just across the road from Goose Wood! It was a Wild Goose. I think it may even have had a couple of Wild Goslings with it, because it seemed to be protecting these smaller creatures. Couldn't see clearly, obviously - it was just a flash of soft grey feathers as I ran/drove/cycled/galloped past, but it was deffo a WG!"

Make sure she's on speakerphone.

(This is not unfair or unkind to your DH. The fresh air does him the world of good, and being our of the house and not withering on about Wild Goosing reduces the odds of him being murdered in his own home,

Win-win situation to my way of thinking.)

Moths or butterflies?

She lied to him for her own amusement because she knew he’d want to go and look for the goose

She lied for her own SANITY!

@TeeBee

Now you just need to get kids involved in goose chasing too so they go with him.

Exactly this! My first thought!

It's got to be Geocaching and you're an absolute legend. I would do this in a heartbeat

@SchadenfreudePersonified

She lied to him for her own amusement because she knew he’d want to go and look for the goose

She lied for her own SANITY!

This!

Definitely otters. My spiritual goose tells me it is.

@Flowers500

I saw something the other day about a woman who would put drops of water on the ground by the washing machine to entertain her husband when she needed some quiet time

This is genius

@Whitegrenache

Got to be a beater / shooter looking for grouse? Their is a low amount this year on the moors in the north

Not a hobby though, more a lackey of the estates. And awfully unsporting to shoot them at night. (Plus they are asleep) Oh no op, it’s not lamping is it?

I reckon it's weasels. Or possibly stoats.

Either way, I totally understand why you did it, @GooseyGooseyWander but you'll always get the bleeding hearts telling you how mean and controlling you are. You never know, he might find one!

I'm wondering what it can be that's outing?

He's one a a very few that do it??

I have a relative who fishes. He hardly ever catches a fish which makes me, and the fish, very happy. It doesn't stop him loving fishing. In fact the elusuveness of the fish only seems to make the possible catch even more alluring. I guess it's the same with wild geese. Dont criticise the op, she has done her husband a kindness. What a thoughtful DW you are, op.

I bet he's enjoying the chase. I feel sorry for the spouses of the hand wringers here. You may be honest but my goodness there is a void where your sense of humour should be.

My husband loves birds and would be excited just at the prospect of a insert birdname here. I've had to endure many walks where we stop repeatedly to view and discuss the birds, missing pub lunch service times or not completing the route we agreed. Or if I happen to mention seeing one alone I get grilled for 10 minutes on beak shape, hue of wing etc then shown a million illustrations from his identification books. And his is a mild interest. I sympathise with the OP.

You legend.

Maybe wouldn’t see the wild goose today… stretch this out for all it’s worth. You can always see one tomorrow!