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Original poster

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

532 replies

GooseyGooseyWander · 01/09/2021 22:29

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?

OP posts:
SunShinesBrightly · 02/09/2021 07:37

I’m going for Bats, foxes or Hedgehogs.

If so, send him over. We have all 3 in our garden 😬

FreekStar2 · 02/09/2021 07:45

Is he a pheasant poacher-? I'm imagining the dad from Danny the Champion of the world devising all his techniques to snaffle the birds under the cover of darkness.

HalzTangz · 02/09/2021 07:48

@millenialblush

Geo cache?
I thought this too
Confusedandshaken · 02/09/2021 07:48

If there is any justice in this world the OPs husband will go out again tonight and find not just one wild goose but a whole flock of them.

Haywirecity · 02/09/2021 07:51

@Confusedandshaken

If there is any justice in this world the OPs husband will go out again tonight and find not just one wild goose but a whole flock of them.
...and come home and tell the op all about it. For three hours! Hehe.
cultkid · 02/09/2021 07:54

Surfing!!

ifonly4 · 02/09/2021 07:54

Oh, you meanie. I reckon he should go back out tonight - if a wild goose has been seen in the area, it may return.

Roselilly36 · 02/09/2021 07:58

Oh dear, I think you could be married to my friend, ex partner, how she put up with his hobbies over the years was something else, obsessed with collecting a certain brand of books, money was tight & still more books were arriving, spotting butterflies & windmills, bloody hell, he went all around the UK looking at windmills, even photographed the bricks, he was exceptionally noisy and so boring. She deserved a medal.

HeartvsBrain · 02/09/2021 07:59

I also wonder what his hobby could be if it would be puting. I presume there are lots of fox watchers, quite a few moth hunters (and basically you just need to leave a window and a light on to attract them into your own home. You have said no to bats and badgers, but anyway they must be be quote plentiful too... Maybe it is searching for UFO, but I expect quite a lot of people do that, so, what have I gleaned already:

a They come out in the evening/nightime.

b. It isn't an embarrasing hobby like dogging or it would probably not be outing, I doubt he would tell friends or family about that hobby!

c It is possibly an area specific hobby, like warthog searching in the Forest of Dean, or Bison stalking in Kent. Something like that that could be outing because it covers a much smaller area, and people in the area may well know who is particularly interested in their wildlife.

d Maybe it really is Wild Goose hunting in somewhere like Slimbridge, or Abbottsbury (I know Abbottsbury is supposed to be known for it's Swans, but you sometimes see Swans and Geese, sorry Gooses near to Swans!

I suppose if you live in England OP, rather than Scotland for example, it could be Red Squirrels. The only place that I know in England that definitely has Red Squirrels is Brownsea Island, in Poole Harbour. I don't know if anyone actually lives there, if they do they are probanly Caretakers of the Island, which would make it very oiting for the OP. However,
i) I don't think Squirrels tend to come out much at night, and
ii) They are not difficult to see during the day,
so that was probably a waste of my time, and anyone elses if they have read my (boring) muses 😄

Actually I think that the pp who think that OP was being mean to her DH, should think that I am being much meaner to the OP in trying to work out what hobby she is talking about, when she has said she doesn't want to tell us as it would be too outing. So I will give up OP, but thanks for a brilliant thread 💐

UnsuitableHat · 02/09/2021 08:00

LOL, good one.

Soubriquet · 02/09/2021 08:02

You are a genius

I doff my cap to you

Soubriquet · 02/09/2021 08:04

Similar to beavers but not…

Is it otter watching?

Vallmo47 · 02/09/2021 08:05

Brilliant OP. But be careful not to spot the goose too often or he will 100% start demanding more info off you, or even worse, make you come.

User5827372728 · 02/09/2021 08:06

I do this with certain kids at school to have a break from them!

Etinox · 02/09/2021 08:07

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@Holskey
He loves looking for a goose when there is an actual goose to be found. No one thinks it’s funny to be lied to and manipulated all as a joke. And then to brag about it online. This is horrible. What kind of people are you to condone this?[/quote]
Erm, lots of people. We must all be mean bullies 😂
OP don’t waste your time watching mafs- you’re a great and very funny writer.

Bakethecakeeatthecake · 02/09/2021 08:14

Brilliant.
Animal is reasonably rare, can run, nocturnal, big enough to be spotted in the dusk/dark, found in a specific area, it’s got to be otter 🦦

Badgercity · 02/09/2021 08:14

Water voles?

Straighttalking1 · 02/09/2021 08:18

Fan flippin tastic OP. I love it. Must be foxes. Ha ha, how thoroughly entertaining you are. 🤣

SoupDragon · 02/09/2021 08:26

@MissCherryCakeyBun

It's got to be Geocaching and you're an absolute legend. I would do this in a heartbeat
No, because spotting these whilst "on a run" isn't how it works at all.

TBH, I'm not seeing the hilarity of this. I also hopes he spots an entire flock and spends hours (days!) regaling the OP with tales of the chase and insisting she comes with him because she is clearly an expert at spotting them.

Flatdisco · 02/09/2021 08:26

@MrsRobbieHart

Is it dogging? It’s dogging isn’t it?
Hahaha! Are there dogging magazines?!
Dizzy1234 · 02/09/2021 08:30

Genius 😂 I've finally found my tribe! Hilarious 😂

Agapornis · 02/09/2021 08:40

@StarryGazeyEyes hehe thank you, fellow moth appreciator!

NorthLodgeAvenue · 02/09/2021 08:47

If you find one of these metaphorical wild geese.....what then?
A special sticker? A badge sewn on your anorak sleeve? A photo of you and said goose?

Billybagpuss · 02/09/2021 08:56

Ok be honest, how much time do you spend online looking for goose locations further afield for him?

DH has a hobby, I’m guessing it’s similar, my record is finding a location that got him out long enough for me to do a 5 mile dog walk and watch gone with the wind.

ArabellaScott · 02/09/2021 09:00

@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
Oh my god, I am creasing myself!