Is Animal behavior changing?

For a long time many animals in North America have been subject to significant human hunting pressure. However in these days there is less and less hunting going on, and many species probably have little to fear from humans.

Recently I have encountered a Great Blue Heron living at a local public garden. This Heron would allow me to approach within 10 feet or so without flushing (which made for some very nice photographic opportunities). All the GBH I have encountered in the past were VERY wary of my presence. In addition, a few weeks ago I ran into an American Beaver. Initially I stayed far away but I ended up getting closer and closer and the beaver ignored my presence completely. I ended up about 10 feet away and the beaver happily harvested and chewed saplings right in front of me. As an aside, BOY those beavers are BIG.

Are "wild" animals getting less fearful of humans in parts of the US where hunting is uncommon?

I have noticed a significant change over the last 8 years in how close GBH allow approach in AZ as well. You used to not be able to get within 1/4 mile and no you can get within about 100 feet and if you just sit at the edge of the water, they may approach much closer on their own terms.

We have tons of cattle egrets, a few GBHs, and the occasional BCNH (I think that's what they are) around the SF Bay Area. Their approachability seems to vary depending on exactly where you are.

In the most peopled parks, they seem to be a bit more used to human activity and let you get much closer before spooking. I've sat down about 15 feet from a GBH for a minute to see if it would stick around. It made like a statue until I slowly stood up and turned away. Of course, I didn't have my camera with me...

In less traveled areas just a mile or two away, they seem to spook much sooner.

Sounds to me like straightforward adaptation to human presence, and not necessarily directly related to less pressure from hunting.

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Any bird or animal in the wild that gets habituated to humans and have never been threaten by them, can be quite approachable. However they are just like people, some will less their "fear" others never will. Like you I was able to photograph a wild beaver at the Maroon Lake in the Maroon/snowmass wilderness area. I was getting full frame images with my 80-200mm.

John is right about animals getting habituated to humans. We see this in places like Wakodahatchee, The Anhinga Trail, and many other public places that provide good but safe habitat. Even here there are differences in the animal/human comfort zones depending on the human behavior. Some actions disturb animals such as people running, talking loudly, or quickly swinging a tripod with a 600mm lens off their shoulder. Photographers who learn to move slow and easy amoung habituated animals will do better than those who dont.

On a bigger scale, humans are changing habitat for many species of wildlife. Some species readily adapt to the changes and do well. For example Canada Geese hang around the wetlands and lakes in my town (Petaluma, CA) and you cal almost pet them. Animals will also sometimes completely change their habits due to changing environments, switch to different types of food, or in the case of ducks and geese stop migrating. Those species that refuse to adapt to changing conditions, such as the ivory-billed woodpecker decline and may go extinct.

My friend has bluebird boxes in his yard. During nesting season, if the bluebirds feel threatened by a preditor in the yard they will go to the window of Andy's house and raise a commotion until he goes out back and runs off the preditor. How's that for modified behavior of animals toward humans!