An Interview with SCDNR State Naturalist Will Mundhenke by Patrick Hunter
“You don’t have to be a Hunter to care about Wildlife, but you have to be a Fisherman to care about Fish”
This quote is from my friend Will Mundhenke, the State Naturalist of South Carolina and employee of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). For Will, the fight and preservation of fisheries and the outdoors is more than a passion. Will has built a life of service towards this cause, but it is not one that can be fought alone. As I sat down with Will to hear his story, he poured out an invitation to get involved and to do better. It was not in a condemning way; it was more of an encouragement to come alongside. My hope is that Will’s story, and his passion for aquatic species and their environment, spurs you along to get involved!
Will was raised in Northern Georgia and was an outdoorsman from an early age. Hunting and fishing were a part of his childhood, and continued to be a passion into adulthood. Fly fishing came later, starting with bass and panfish on ponds, and then moved to trout in rivers and streams. Will now works for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as an Aquatic Education Specialist, focusing on freshwater fisheries. Will’s road to SCDNR began at the University of North Georgia. While studying environmental history, Will enrolled in a PhD program at the University of South Carolina to study the Environmental History of Pirates. During his time in the program, he received a master’s degree in Public and Environmental History. One could assume Will was well on his way to being a historian and a teacher. For Will, an opportunity arose to be a seasonal Park Ranger in New Mexico, working at a National Park. At the end of the season, Will moved back to Columbia. Soon after his return, Will was offered a permanent Ranger position back in New Mexico. As Ranger positions are so rare, Will and his future wife talked and decided that it was too good an opportunity, so they moved to New Mexico. Ranger Will enjoyed his time with the park service. He mentioned the experience helped him realize how much he enjoyed educating people about nature and natural resources. After a few years, Will’s wife got into nurse practitioner school at the University of South Carolina, of all places! Will told me that he and his wife agreed that since she had moved to New Mexico for Will’s ranger job, they should move back to Columbia for her. When she started school, Will began his job at SCDNR.
Will’s passion for the fisheries of the Palmetto State extends well beyond his 9 to 5 at the Department of Natural Resources. Upon moving back to Columbia, Will got involved with the Saluda River Trout Unlimited chapter as a member and volunteer. Will served on the board, but stepped down from leadership to start a new conservation organization, the Native Fish Coalition. NFC was brought to Alabama by Dr. Matt Lewis, a good friend of Will and the author of “Fly Fishing for Redeye Bass”. The Native Fish Coalition has a simple mission to “protect, preserve, and restore wild native fish populations through stewardship of the fish and their habitats.” Following the success of the organization in Alabama, Dr. Matt encouraged Will to start the South Carolina NFC chapter, along with a few like-minded close friends. Will currently serves as the Chair. NFC is the only non-profit conservation organization supporting Redeye Bass in South Carolina, working towards species delineation for Bartram’s Bass.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Redeye Bass before, and maybe have even had the unique pleasure of fishing and catching a redeye. Redeye bass is a native black bass species of South Carolina. Their entire range is limited to the southeast, exclusively the states of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and, of course, South Carolina. Redeye’s native habitat is rivers and streams with a lot of structure and moderate current flows. Redeye can also be found in reservoirs, especially where rivers and creeks flow into the reservoirs. Unique to South Carolina is a subspecies of redeye bass, known as the Bartram’s Bass, named after William Bartram, the American naturalist, writer, and explorer in the Southeast.
For Will, Bartrams are in a league of their own. I asked Will, “Why were these fish so special?” He replied, “Bartrams are born in our streams, and are one of our state’s most prized possessions. It cannot vote for itself, so it needs anglers and conservationists to fight for it. Fishing for Bartram’s is one of the few ways to experience a natural and wild animal that exudes everything that is South Carolina. This fish is as significant to South Carolina as the Palmetto Tree or Pimento Cheese!”
I knew Will was passionate about these fish, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Beyond my desire to catch one of these fish myself, I wanted to know how we can help protect these fish. Will informed me, “The biggest threat to Bartram’s Bass is hybridization.” He pleaded, “Never transport fish. Invasive Bass species being introduced in rivers and streams can genetically outcompete the native species.” He spoke more about cleaning up the river and waterways, making sure to leave no trace and to treat the outdoors well, handling it with care. He concluded, “The biggest help to Bartram’s Bass is to get out, catch one, and see for yourself how special they are.”
Will shared some tips and tricks with me to catch Redeye Bass, as well as a guide as to where to find these fish, which I have shared in a previous article. Since my interview, there has been a big win for the species of Bartram’s Bass and for Bartram’s Bass fishing enthusiasts. Once referred to as the “Redeye Bass,” the newly named species, “Bartram’s Bass,” has been given a unique species identification. This incredible achievement is the result of decades of research and collaboration among scientists across the Southeast from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia.
I hope this story and interview have grown your passion for our local water bodies and the Bartram’s Bass and other native fish species that call them home. I encourage you to jump into a conservation organization in your area. Become a member and get involved. Like Will said, our fish cannot vote for themselves. Our role is to protect, look after, and act responsibly for our native species. And so the role of steward is also passed along to us, the anglers. A title I wear with pride, and I hope you will too!
