Lasting Legacies
by Gentry Hale
South Dakota’s Jerry Hirrschoff has dedicated his life to the intersection of outdoor recreation and education.
When you walk into a restaurant, don’t expect to have lunch or breakfast with Jerry the whole time. Because there are inevitably people who know him in the restaurant, and he is going to get pulled away,” says Mike Mueller, who spent 13 years in various RMEF leadership roles in South Dakota before becoming senior lands program manager in 2002. “He has connections with people, and that’s what the Elk Foundation is all about. Conservation is about connections—with people, partners and the land.”
Having spent much of his life working across South Dakota’s rolling prairies to its rugged Black Hills, 78-year-old Jerry has dedicated himself to education, youth empowerment, outdoor recreation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Born and raised in Pierre, Jerry grew up in a family that valued the outdoors. “My dad was an avid hunter and fisherman, and he taught me well,” says Jerry, adding that he began hunting pheasants at just 10 years old. “I remember my dad and I going out together and hunting with our Springer spaniel and having great days afield.” By age 12 his love of hunting expanded to deer—a pursuit he continues to this day.
After earning a degree in education at South Dakota’s Yankton College, Jerry spent 14 years teaching math to middle and high schoolers in Iowa before accepting a teaching position in Rapid City, returning him to the Black Hills he loves and all the area’s hunting opportunities.
Jerry’s passion for mentoring extended beyond the classroom. He coached youth wrestling, officiated at state tournaments and was inducted into the South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013. He also led his church’s youth group and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “My dad was a pastor, and he spent a lot of time working with young people as well, so I got that from him,” he says.
But Jerry’s most enduring legacy may be helping to found
an organization known as South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures with Jim Scull in 2008. SDYHA pairs kids with mentors to help teach hunting, fishing and conservation skills. Today, this program works with around 70 youth annually across the state and RMEF has proudly helped fund the program with numerous grants over the years. “We know we have fewer and fewer young people getting into , so we thought it was appropriate to get them involved so they would continue to be part of our conservation efforts and the outdoors,” says Jerry.
Jerry first discovered RMEF in the late 1980s. Invited to a local banquet, he felt drawn to the mission and quickly volunteered for that chapter’s committee, eventually serving as South Dakota state chair for 12 years. A Life Member for over two decades and a volunteer for three decades, Jerry believes deeply in the organization’s core values—protecting habitat, improving public access and ensuring our hunting heritage.
In 1995, after moving to Rapid City and becoming reacquainted with the Black Hills, Jerry drew his first elk tag and shot a six-point bull that fall.
Tom Slowey, a former RMEF regional director who worked closely with Jerry for more than a decade, says his friend has “an affinity for communicating with people, and I don’t think there’s anyone in Rapid City he doesn’t know.” His connections and communication skills helped build the Rapid City committee and greater community to what it is today.
Jerry acted as a liaison between Slowey and state wildlife agencies, helping many conservation projects come to fruition, including the Black Hills Conservation Initiative, a coalition of organizations dedicated to conserving the Black Hills region. “He’s always been 100% gung-ho for RMEF,” says Slowey. “Jerry’s an outgoing person and he’s got a big personality and a big heart, and he’s a lot of fun to work with.”
Through his work with RMEF, SDYHA and decades of mentorship, Jerry has left an indelible mark on South Dakota’s outdoor community, helping ensure the state’s wild places and hunting traditions will thrive for generations. He plans to continue giving back long after his time on Earth by designating RMEF as a beneficiary of his will, making him a member of the Trails Society.
The Trails Society recognizes those who have included RMEF as a beneficiary in their estate plans through a will, life insurance policy, retirement account or other means.
Recognition in this group of donors includes a Trails Society pin as a small token of RMEF’s appreciation and invitations to exclusive activities for Trails Society members.
Jerry’s legacy is defined not just by his accomplishments but by his extraordinary knack for fostering connections.
“Personally, the thing that means the most is just being a best friend and really caring about everybody around—that’s what counts,” says Mueller. “RMEF was built on people, relationships and caring for each other. And that’s what Jerry is.”