MERCER – Robert Thompson Sr. is legally ready to go spring turkey hunting.

With the governor’s signature on a legislative act last Friday, his complimentary disabled veteran’s hunting license now includes turkey hunting and more.

“I received a call from the commissioner Monday,” he said Tuesday. “The legislation passed and the governor signed the bill.”

As a 100 percent disabled veteran, Thompson is entitled to a complimentary license to hunt, trap or fish, according to the rules booklet published by department. But that free license didn’t include a permit to hunt wild turkeys, as it does for people over the age of 70, and Thompson thought they were suppose to be the same.

It wasn’t the $20 cost for the permit. It was the principle, he said in March, calling it an injustice to veterans and saying he wanted to let other disabled veterans know about it.

The disabled veteran license is now the same as the one for a person 70 years or older and includes turkey hunting and more – muzzleloading, migratory waterfowl (although they still need a federal permit), pheasant, bear, coyote night hunt, and fall turkey.