What differentiates game species from non-game species in wildlife management?

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This item is testing how wildlife management classifies species for hunting. In many jurisdictions, including Maine, species are divided into game and non-game based on hunting status and protection levels rather than size or location.

Game species are those that hunters may pursue under regulated seasons and licenses for sport or food. Non-game species are the ones that are generally not hunted and are typically protected to conserve populations; there can be exceptions for special circumstances like depredation control or research permits, but hunting is not the normal rule for these species.

So the best answer states that game species are hunted for sport or food, while non-game species are not hunted and may be protected. The other ideas don’t fit because size, location, or an absolute claim that non-game are always protected and never hunted are not accurate in practice.