Grey Owl began writing The Men of the Last Frontier, his first book, in late 1929 in the area of Cabano in southeastern Quebec, where he and his companion, Anahareo, had been living since the previous year.

[2]: 61–69 According to the account in Pilgrims of the Wild, Grey Owl found it difficult to start writing, and decided to return to the cabin on Birch Lake, where he, Anahareo and the beavers McGinnis and McGinty had first settled when they came to the area.

[4]: 298–299 Country Life initially wanted to buy The Men of the Last Frontier outright and offered Grey Owl $750 for all rights.

Although he was inexperienced in the publishing business, Grey Owl was suspicious of a deal that gave him no royalties and turned to the Canadian Department of the Interior for advice.

The free-lance writer Lloyd Roberts happened to hear of this and intervened on Grey Owl's behalf to negotiate a fairer contract for the book.