Does a Bear Hug in the Woods?

Or anywhere else? I have heard of a “bear hug” in many contexts, and I read a short story (in an old collection of my mother’s called My Friend, the Dog, many years ago), of bears squeezing their foes as a battle tactic.

True, or BS (Bear Shit)? Do they actually do this? If not, how did the story get started?

Regards,
Shodan

Yes: