The Bowhunter Podcast recently sat down for an info-packed conversation with Josh Johnson, the co-owner of Spot Hogg Archery, makers of the World's Toughest Archery Products. Podcast Host Christian Berg, associate publisher/editor in chief of Bowhunter Magazine, visited with Johnson at Outdoor Sportsman Group's booth during the January 2026 SHOT Show, where Harrisburg, Oregon-based Spot Hogg has been a regular exhibitor in the Archery Pavilion.
Bowhunter readers are familiar with the story of the well-known archery accessories manufacturer, but for those who don't know where the company's intriguing name is derived, Johnson explained: "We're all target shooters. My entire life growing up my Dad would drag my brother and me out to shoot after shoot after shoot to get us out of my Mom's hair. He'd take us to all these different competitions… I believe it was at Worlds, they were sharing targets, and Dad shot and put all of his arrows in the spot, and the guy after him came up and hit the back of his arrow and it ricocheted out, and he shot again and his arrow ricocheted out again, so he said, 'Steve, quit hogging the spot.' So, it was a spinoff of competitive shooting," Johnson concluded.
Spot Hogg has come a long way since those early days in the late 1990s. While for more than a decade the company's machine shop had been churning out topnotch archery accessories for another leading manufacturer, once they introduced accessories under the Spot Hogg brand, they never looked back. Today, their bowsights, arrow rests, release aids, and numerous other specialty products have earned a spotless reputation for quality, performance and durability.
"Dad was always getting frustrated because I was breaking everything," said Johnson, in reference to the company's now famously tough-as-nails products. "I was always the guy who would fall in the woods and break a sight, break a rest, break this or break that, so part of the reason for the durability of our products was what my Dad called, 'Josh proofing.'"
In this far-ranging episode, Johnson and Berg discuss the long relationship between Spot Hogg and the Bowhunter brand – they've been part of Bowhunter TV efforts for decades and the staff has come to depend on the Spot Hogg products in the field, and to count on getting sneak peeks at new gear for the coming year. So, it should be no surprise that Johnson arrived with their new Hogg Father Pro bowsight, which represents the height of precision movable sight technology, and along with the company's new ROTI (Reach Out and Touch It) Modular Sight System, and the game changing new addition to the system that Johnson teased for later this year, emphasizes another of Spot Hogg's core strengths – interchangeability.
"There's something really cool coming by the end of the year that's going to change the game," said Johnson. "It's really exciting to see where our industry is going and that we can make the adjustments to our products, because we've already been there and had to back off our products because it was overkill for the public, but now we're able to bring them out… So, stay tuned or you're going to miss out," finished Johnson.
"One of the things I love most about the archery industry," said Host Christian Berg, "is how passionate the people are. Josh truly loves shooting a bow, and he knows from real-life experience what it takes to succeed on the target line and in the field. That's why Spot Hogg makes some of the best bow accessories in the business, and why we trust the company's products with our hunts!"
The episode is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean. Watch the full episode here. Additionally, pick up the latest issue of Bowhunter Magazine on newsstands or subscribe online at Bowhunter.com.
About Outdoor Sportsman Group Publishing: As a premier destination for the most avid outdoors enthusiasts, Outdoor Sportsman Group's publishing division is widely recognized for its strong special-interest multichannel brands, including Guns & Ammo, Game & Fish, Petersen's HUNTING, In-Fisherman and 10 other leading magazines that reach more than 22 million readers. Outdoor Sportsman Group's network of websites, including BassFan.com, Outdoorchannel.com, Sportsmanchannel.com and WFN.com, attracts more than 62 million annual unique visitors, and OSG TV produces hundreds of TV episodes of original branded hunting, sport shooting and fishing programming that airs on Outdoor Sportsman Group's broadcast entities. Visit http://outdoorsg.com for more information.
